By DAVID FISCHER, Related Press
MIAMI (AP) — A South Florida man pleaded no contest Wednesday to fees associated to making an attempt to get $5,000 from a state senator after threatening to launch what he mentioned had been sexually specific photographs of her.
Jeremy Kamperveen, 20, of Plantation, entered an open plea in Broward County circuit courtroom, in keeping with courtroom information. He was dealing with fees of extortion, illegal use of a two-way machine and cyberstalking. The open plea means he has no cope with prosecutors, and his lawyer, Michael Heise, mentioned Kamperveen faces as much as 21 years in jail at a July 19 sentencing listening to.
Kamperveen was arrested in November. A Broward Sheriff’s Workplace arrest report did not establish the sufferer, however Florida Sen. Lauren Ebook, whose district consists of a part of Broward County, launched an announcement a number of weeks later saying the threatening messages had been despatched to her.
“I turned the sufferer of ongoing sexual harassment and extortion,” Ebook mentioned in December. “I instantly notified legislation enforcement and started working intently with them to trace these liable for sending threatening and disturbing pictures and messages to my cellphone, together with distorted, pretend and stolen pictures created in an effort to intimidate, threaten, and extort me.”
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Ebook is chief of the Senate Democratic Caucus and a longtime advocate for victims of kid abuse and sexual abuse. She leads a gaggle known as Lauren’s Children. Ebook didn’t instantly have a touch upon Kamperveen’s plea, however her spokeswoman mentioned Ebook and her husband might be offering sufferer affect statements at subsequent month’s listening to.
In line with the arrest report, Ebook contacted the Florida Division of Regulation Enforcement on Nov. 12, after somebody despatched Ebook a number of specific photographs and threatened to spoil her political profession by releasing them to the general public. An spy took over communication with the unidentified individual and finally negotiated to pay the individual $4,000 in money, down from an preliminary $5,000 demand, in trade for watching the individual delete the photographs. A gathering was set for Nov. 17 at a Dawn Starbucks, the place brokers arrested the individual and recognized him as Kamperveen.
Kamperveen confessed to sending the messages and photographs to Ebook, officers mentioned. Throughout a search of Kamperveen’s cellphone, brokers reported discovering the messages, in addition to a folder containing photographs and movies of Ebook. Through the investigation, Ebook mentioned she discovered the pictures, together with video of her and her husband, had been being bought and traded on-line.
The state senator’s expertise led to her sponsoring laws this previous spring that may make it a felony to purchase, promote or commerce stolen sexually specific pictures from somebody’s cellphone or different digital gadgets. It might additionally make disseminating altered or created sexually specific pictures, referred to as deepfakes, a felony, and strengthen baby pornography, revenge porn and bestiality legal guidelines. The invoice handed unanimously within the Florida Home and the Florida Senate, and it’s awaiting the governor’s signature.
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