Aurora ‘sextortion’ ring investigation, prompted by school newspaper, yields arrests

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story discusses mental health care and suicide. If you or someone you know is in need of services, contact the Colorado Crisis Center at 844-492-8255 or text “TALK” to 38255. The national suicide hotline number is 988. 

AURORA | An 18-year-old Aurora man faces charges of child exploitation and extortion in connection with a nearly year-long “sextortion” investigation by Aurora police.

The Aurora Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit announced Dec. 12 they arrested 18-year-old Jamir Deante Bright in connection with the investigation, along with two accomplices who are minors, and not identified.

Bright was taken into custody Dec. 6 by Aurora police and was later released in lieu of $10,000 bond.

The Aurora “sextortion” scheme of minors was initially brought to light after the student-run newspaper at Rangeview High School, the Raider Review published a report last January about multiple Instagram accounts posting explicit photos of minors, some of which might have been generated with AI, without their consent.

“Sextortion is a form of exploitation where children are blackmailed most often through the threat of publishing an explicit image,” Aurora police officials said in a statement. “Sextortion could also involve sharing sexually explicit images with others in exchange for money. The investigation determined victims were targeted with both types of sextortion in this case.”

People using multiple Instagram accounts were accused of asking students for money in exchange for removing explicit posts and also soliciting money from people to enter private groups to show explicit pictures, police said. 

The high school newspaper reported Jan. 17 that this affected at least a dozen Rangeview students and students in other school districts. 

“The explicit images and videos that were shared through these “exposed” Instagram accounts included both males and females,” said Joe Moylan, APD public information officer. “We were only able to identify a few victims through their cooperation with the investigation.”

The issue of sextortion and social media has been a centerpiece of recent efforts in Australia to ban social media for use by anyone under 16.

Mac Holdsworth died last year at his Melbourne family home at the age of 17 after a 47-year-old Sydney man who purported to be an 18-year-old woman demanded money for an intimate image the boy had shared, according to a story by the Associated Press.

Since then, the grieving father has taken his tragic story to around 20 schools to warn students of the risks of social media.

“I saw firsthand the damage that social media could do. I saw Mac, my son, get sexually extorted on social media,” Holdsworth said. “His mental health deteriorated at a rapid rate.” Online predators began approaching the teenager before his 16th birthday and his father believes such a ban could have saved his life.

In the Aurora case, the two minor accomplices, a 17-year-old and a 14-year-old from Denver, were also identified and face charges in Aurora Municipal Court. 

The investigation involved a collaborative effort between Aurora police, Homeland Security Investigations, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Denver District Attorney’s Office. Authorities executed numerous search warrants, filed court orders and analyzed electronic devices to uncover evidence. They also extensively reviewed social media profiles, ultimately leading investigators to identify Bright as the primary suspect.

The police department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit is part of the Colorado Cyber Guardian Task Force, which brings together local, state and federal agencies to combat child exploitation and trafficking.

Authorities have urged anyone with information about the case to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720.913.STOP (7867). Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.