What to Know
- Ian Pisarchuk, 25, of Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania, allegedly contacted women and girls on Snapchat, told them he had naked pictures of them and threatened to post those photos online if they didn’t send him more explicit images.
- Police said the victims, some of them underage, then sent him videos in fear that he’d post their nude images online.
- Bensalem Police also said Pisarchuk may have targeted a person who died by suicide in September of 2016.
A Bensalem man is accused of using Snapchat to threaten to post nude pictures and videos of underage girls to force them to send him more explicit photos.
The investigation began in October 2020 when Bensalem Police received a report that a girl was being harassed by a user on the popular social media app Snapchat. The user was threatening to post naked pictures of the girl if she didn’t send him more nude photos.
In February, Snapchat provided investigators with the IP address of the person who was trying to extort the girl. Detectives identified the user as 25-year-old Ian Pisarchuk of Bensalem, Pennsylvania.
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On March 11, detectives went to Pisarchuk’s home and interviewed him. He allegedly admitted to using Snapchat to speak with girls and stated that he had been “forceful.” Police also found several photos and videos of naked women and girls on his cell phone, according to investigators.
Pisarchuk allegedly contacted his victims, told them he had naked pictures of them and threatened to post those photos online if they didn’t send him more explicit images. Police said the victims, some of them underage, then sent him videos in fear that he’d post their nude images online.
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On Tuesday, police executed a search warrant at Pisarchuk’s home and seized several electronic devices.
Pisarchuck was arrested and charged with enticing a minor to produce child pornography, possession of child pornography, sexual extortion, stalking, unlawful contact with a minor, terroristic threats, dissemination of obscene/sexual material of a minor, corruption of minors and criminal use of a communication facility.
He was arraigned with bail set at ten percent of two million dollars and was sent to Bucks County Prison.
Bensalem Police also said Pisarchuk may have targeted a person who died by suicide in September of 2016. That person was harassed, threatened and extorted by an unknown Snapchat user in a manner similar to what Pisarchuk did to his victims, according to investigators.
Police tracked the IP address of that Snapchat user to Kutztown University. While Pisarchuk attended Kutztown University between 2014 and 2018, investigators have not yet determined whether or not he was the same user involved in that case.
