Arrest in Miss Teen USA extortion attempt

In this Aug. 10, 2013, file photo provided by Miss Universe, Miss California Teen USA 2013 Cassidy Wolf is crowned Miss Teen USA 2013. A 19-year-old man was arrested Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013, in an investigation into the hacking of webcams at the homes of Cassidy Wolf and other young women in an attempt to extort nude photographs and videos, the FBI said. AP Photo/Miss Universe L.P., LLLP, File

SANTA ANA, California – A 19-year-old man was arrested Thursday in an investigation into the hacking of a webcam at the home of Miss Teen USA Cassidy Wolf in an attempt to extort nude photographs, the FBI said.

Jared James Abrahams surrendered to FBI agents in Orange County, said FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller. He was scheduled to be in federal court in Santa Ana later in the day, Eimiller said.

Wolf, a 19-year-old, won the Miss Teen USA crown Aug. 9.

Last month, Wolf told the website of NBC’s “Today” show that earlier this year she received an anonymous email in which the sender claimed to have stolen images from the camera on her home computer.

The sender of the email threatened to go public with images captured from Wolf’s webcam unless she would provide nude pictures of herself, Eimiller said.

Instead, Wolf went to authorities.

Based on an investigation launched in March the FBI believes there were more than a dozen victims in all, Eimiller said last month.

Wolf has said she would use her fame to highlight cybercrime.

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