Demand for Money to Remove Accusations from a Website

My question involves criminal law for the state of: new york

About a week and a half ago, I was on the craigs list personal section. I came across an ad that said it was from a girl who was "a little younger for craigs list" but did not say how old she was. Since from what ive seen most girls who post on craigs list are in their 20s or at least 18, I assumed it just meant she just turned 18, and underneath the post it said 18. When the person replied, she said she was 15. I said I was not interested. However, a couple days later after she had written back, i asked her if she had any pictures. I did not ask for any nude pictures or sexually explicit pictures. It was stupid, I know... I don't know what I was thinking, I kind of just wanted to see if she was actually 15 or not, because I had honestly never seen or heard of anyone 15 posting on craigs list. The person insisted I give her my phone number. I didnt respond, and the person sent pictures and asked me to send nude pictures of myself and said something like lets go out. At this point i kind of thought something was strange because the person had been repeatedly contacting me and asking me questions like how old I was and what my number was. I asked a couple questions like what part of new york the person was from and how exactly she thought we were supposed to meet and that I wanted to speak to her on the phone before I did anything.

That was basically it. I never said or suggested anything sexual, and I never said I actually wanted to meet the person. The only picture I sent was from my first e-mail... it was just a picture of my face. The person then revealed himself to be a blogger who keeps a blog of "pedophiles" and sent me this a link to this site, on which he placed my e-mail address, my photo, my name, my possible street addresses... and said he was tracing my ip address and was going to send everything to my family, friends, and the police. I asked the person to take me off the site, and he said if I paid him a fine of $400 he would, or else he would send all of my information out to everyone. He said I had til midday to decide.

As much as I know I shouldn't give in to blackmail, I sent the person the money and he informed me that he deleted the e-mail records and has since taken me off the site, and warned me never to talk to an underage girl again. The person has good intentions I guess, but black mail is illegal isn't it? I know it was stupid e-mailing the minor, even if I didnt have any malicious intentions, and it was probably stupid giving into the black mail. My question is... if he lied and kept everything... can I be charged if he some how traces my ip address and shows the police everything? I swear I said NOTHING sexual or inappropriate in the e-mails... I barely said anything at all. I know e-mailing a minor is inappropriate in itself and I regret ever doing it. I have never gotten into trouble for anything and I am really young. Please give me advice, I am really scared.

If your account of what you said, sent, etc. is the truth, then YOU should contact the police and file a report for extortion. This sounds like blackmail, pure and simple. This person is just betting that the questionable behavior he lures people into will prevent them from ever coming forward.

From what you describe of your behavior, it was certainly stupid and narrowly skirting danger, but you didn’t cross the line into committing a criminal offense (again, presuming you are being completely truthful). So, I would advise contacting the police and reporting this predator for extortion.

If you are being a bit less than honest about your actions in this email exchange, then take this as a $400 wake-up call and seek help from a mental health professional regarding how to deal with your pedophilic tendencies.

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Quoting user1232

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It was stupid, I know... I don't know what I was thinking....

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Yes, you do. ;) But from what you've told us so far you didn't break any laws.

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Quoting user1232

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The person has good intentions I guess....

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No, he doesn't. If you have good intentions you don't tell people, "I'll remove this embarrassing information if you pay me money."

You obviously had an address to mail the money too. Turn that over to the police. And if you still have the messages, print them out and give that to the police also. Back them up to a Flash Drive.

i paid through this thing called moneypak... i bought it and put $400 on it and e-mailed the person the number. he told me to do it that way for his own safety. i just wanted to get it over with. is asking the under age person to send pictures illegal? where is the line between what i have done and breaking the law?

He's banking on you not involving the police in fear of being arrested for online solicitation of a minor. Mind you, it sounds like he blackmailed the hell outa you. You definitely have the right to pursue justice in this matter. For your sake, I hope that there is nothing that gives the impression that you were grooming a minor for sex. You didn't state your wording(nor do I want you to.) But, if you even suggested that you'd have some sort of intimate involvement with a 15 year old...

Moneypak is associated with Paypal, so you can try emailing Paypal to reverse the transaction and debit the money from his account. I've never used moneypaks before so I don't know if it'll work but it's work but it's worth a shot.

paying the money sucked but all i really care about is that i dont get into trouble. i didnt suggest anything sexual. all i said was that i was kind of interested, i asked for pictures, and i asked what part of new york she was from. that was it. i am being truthful. i didnt say i wanted to meet, and i didnt ask, suggest, or request anything sexual. i only sent maybe 5 or 6 e mails and they were 1-2 sentences each at most. this person does this stuff as a hobby. he lures stupid people into a trap, then puts all of their information on a blog. if he submitted anything to the police, would they require that he give his name or any information about himself? in my opinion, with clear cut extortion, it seems like hed be in more trouble than me

If you did anything whereas an allegation of you committing one of these following acts, you may be in more troulbe that the blackmailer:

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A person is guilty of disseminating indecent material to minors in the
first degree when:
1. knowing the character and content of the communication which, in
whole or in part, depicts or describes, either in words or images actual
or simulated nudity, sexual conduct or sado-masochistic abuse, and which
is harmful to minors, he intentionally uses any computer communication
system allowing the input, output, examination or transfer, of computer
data or computer programs from one computer to another, to initiate or
engage in such communication with a person who is a minor; and
2. by means of such communication he importunes, invites or induces a
minor to engage in sexual intercourse, oral sexual conduct or anal
sexual conduct, or sexual contact with him, or to engage in a sexual
performance, obscene sexual performance, or sexual conduct for his
benefit.
Disseminating indecent material to minors in the first degree is a
class D felony.

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i didnt commit ANY of those.