Security News > 2021 > April > DOJ: Creep Coach Finagles Nude Athlete Photos

A former track-and-field coach who worked at several universities has been arrested and is facing up to five years in prison for attempting to solicit nude photos of his athletes through sham social-media accounts and cyberstalking.

The Department of Justice alleged that Steve Waithe, while coaching at Northeastern University, would often ask his athletes to give him their phones during competition and practices, ostensibly, so he could film their form, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts said.

Waithe then contacted those same college athletes through fake social-media accounts in Feb. 2020 and told them he had discovered the photos online - and offered to "Help" recover them, the U.S. Attorney's office added.

Posing as a "Privacy protector," or operating under the name "Katie Janovich" he would tell the girls the stolen photos could be scraped from the internet if they sent nude or semi-nude pictures, which would help with a "Reverse image search" on the internet.

From last June to Oct. 2020, he used fake social-media accounts and an anonymized phone number to cyberstalk one of his athletes, even breaking into her Snapchat account, the U.S. Attorney said.

In addition to asking for the athletes to provide detailed height, weight and nutrition information, Waithe allegedly asked them to send photos of themselves wearing a "Uniform or bathing suit to show as much skin as possible."

News URL

https://threatpost.com/creep-coach-nude-athlete-photos/165340/