A 28-year-old Nevada-based man pleaded guilty Wednesday to extorting more than $250,000 from men who responded to his ads offering gay sex services on Craigslist and other sites.
Tyler Buchanan, who went by the name “Thuler O'Naill,” faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in May on several federal felony charges.
The Santa Monica Mirror reports: “Over a period of six years, Buchanan purchased more than 1,300 ads on Craigslist, Backpage among other services under the moniker ‘Thuler O'Naill' offering sex services for hire, targeting gay men in multiple cities and states, including Santa Monica and Los Angeles, according to federal prosecutors. After an individual would respond to one of Buchanan's ads via a listed phone number, Buchanan would look up personal information on the victim and proceed to sext with them, often including an agreement to engage in sex for money, according to his plea agreement. Buchanan would then threaten to publicize the texts and report the victim to the police for solicitation of prostitution unless an extortion fee was paid, ranging from $100 to $4,000 a month.”
