SAN JOSE, Calif. (KCBS RADIO) – San Jose Police have arrested a man that they say is responsible for a high-profile case of sexual extortion that led to the death by suicide of a San Jose teen.
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Jonathan Kassi was arrested on December 15 by Los Angeles Police in Van Nuys after he was linked to the death by suicide of the 17-year-old San Jose teen from February this year by the San Jose Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Kassi is involved in a West African financial sextortion scheme, where using usernames online like "emillysmith" and "kassijonathan" on various social media applications he sexually exploited children.
In the case of the San Jose teenager, he was tricked by Kassi posing as a girl online into handing over sexually explicit photos. Then Kassi tried to extort the teen for thousands of dollars.
"I believe they gained some of his usernames and passwords to other social media sites and they were going to share the photos that he sent with people that he knew," said San Jose Police spokesperson Sgt. Christian Camarillo.
Kassi has since been transported to San Jose where he was booked at Santa Clara County Main Jail. He is facing charges of extortion and attempted disorderly conduct, meaning the posting of a photograph or recording without consent.
It’s believed that Kassi is part of a larger sextortion operation, which the FBI is also investigating and has issued a warning about.
"This is one of many organizations that are out there extorting people, you know time and time again we hear people being defrauded thousands of dollars over things that are literally a fairy tale being sold to these people sometimes," said Camarillo.
Detectives believe there could be more victims. Anyone with more information is asked to contact Sergeant Pierce #3415 of the San Jose Police Department’s ICAC Unit at (408) 537-1397 or e-mail 3415@sanjoseca.gov.
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