CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A Chicago man is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to tricking college student athletes into sending him explicit photos.
Steve Waithe, 30 pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including several counts of wire fraud, cyberstalking and computer fraud.
Prosecutors said the former Northeastern University track coach would request cellphones of female student athletes “under the pretense of filming them at practice." Instead, he'd send himself explicit photos of the students that were saved on their phones.
Investigators said Waithe had over 12 fake social media accounts he'd use to pose as a "privacy protector" and ask his victims for more nude photos to "help" get them removed.
“Mr. Waithe’s conduct is despicable. For almost a year, he manipulated, exploited and in one case stalked young women across the country, hiding behind a web of anonymized social media accounts and fabricated personas he engineered,” acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said.
“He now knows no one can hide from justice — even anonymously behind a keyboard.”
Waithe also worked as a track and field coach at Penn State University, the Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Tennessee and Concordia University Chicago.
He faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud and five years for each of the other counts.
Waithe will be sentenced next March.
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