What were you doing at age 16? At that age, most were getting their drivers licence, getting their first job, going to dances and house parties, dreaming of and preparing for their future. For one Fayetteville, NC teenager, the future might be a very bleak one.
Sixteen-year-old William Buie is facing 45 charges of sextortion, including 13 counts of first-degree sexual exploitation. The investigation took months. The Fayetteville/Cumberland County Sheriff’s office got an anonymous tip in February 2016. The tip claimed someone was coaxing juveniles into sexual acts through Instagram. According to local authorities and prosecutors, Buie had an Instagram account pretending to be a teenage female. They say he used that account to trick male students, mostly from his school. They say he would ask males for pictures. The teen males, thinking they were conversing with a female, would send such pictures. Allegedly, Buie got the pictures and demanded passwords. If he didn’t get them, he’d threaten to release the pictures to the community. According to WRAL news, a Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville area NBC affiliate, Buie would exchange the photos on gay websites. He was arrested Wed., June 1, after the police found overwhelming evidence on his computer and smart device. Buie is expected to be tried as an adult. If convicted, Buie could face a maximum of 20 years in prison. The victims will not be charged. This won’t go on their record as long as they stay out of legal trouble.
Let this be a cautionary tale, for potential victims and especially for plotting perpetrators. Don’t send nude or nearly nude photos online for any reason! I don’t care who is telling you to do it! How do you really know that person is who he/she says he is? Authorities say sextortion crimes are happening too often. That means they’re going to look harder for perpetrators. And ?when you’re caught, it won’t be a speeding ticket. You will be looking at many years in prison. I don’t know if William Buie is guilty or not. The courts will have to decide that. But look at the court of public opinion. Is this the kind of guy you’d want for an employee? Is this the kind of guy you’d want for a tenant? Is this the kind of guy you’d want in your social organization or at your church? Is this the kind of guy you want to patron your restaurant? Is this the kind of guy you’d want for a boyfriend or future husband? So is it worth it?