Salmon Arm man, 62, extorted over nude photos (again)

A 62-year-old Salmon Arm man went to police after he was extorted over nude photographs. Again.

It’s the second time in two years he sent a nude photo to a stranger and nearly paid for it, according to Salmon Arm RCMP.

Police said an unknown person wanted $1,000 from the man or else a photo he had sent would be shared online, similar to a complaint the same Salmon Arm man took to RCMP in 2023.

On March 11, police told him not to send the money and block the unknown extortionist. They went on to show him how to make his social media profiles private.

“There was no way to control the image being shared, but police advised the complainant that social media platforms have policies banning nudity,” a Salmon Arm RCMP news release reads.

The detachment advised the public against sharing nude photographs online or through cell phones.

“Once those photos are shared, you have no control over what happens with them, or who they are shared with afterwards,” the release reads.

BC has recently introduced new laws that punish people who share, or threaten to share, similar photos without consent. The perpetrator can now be pursued through criminal or civil court, but enforcement in this case is uncertain as the extortionist’s identity isn’t known.

It’s not clear whether the photos were ultimately shared without payment.