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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, May 6, 2010

'Cyber extortion' allegations against Kailua man detailed


Advertiser Staff

Prosecutors are calling it a case of "cyber extortion."

Brandon W. Fujihara, 31, of Kailua, "threatened to send nude photos" of a female victim to her employer "if she did not meet his demands," Deputy Prosecutor Christopher Van Marter said in court this morning.

When the victim did not respond to a second demand the next day, Fujihara allegedly "sent nude photographs to the employer's server," the prosecutor said.

Van Marter declined to specify what demands Fujihara allegedly made of the victim.

Fujihara used "an unsecured wireless router that he accessed in Kailua near his residence" to send his demands from an anonymous email account he established, Van Marter said.

The defendant also "signed up for several pornographic website subscriptions, using her bank account information as the source of payment," said the prosecutor.

"That triggered monthly deductions from the victim's account to pay for those subscriptions," Van Marter said.

"Eventually the police traced the IP (internet protocol) address back to the wireless router linked to the suspect," said Van Marter.

Fujihara "did provide a partial confession to some of the criminal acts," the prosecutor said.

He was indicted on charges including extortion, theft and unlawful use of a computer.

Circuit Judge Richard Perkins set bail at $25,000.

Van Marter said Fujihara has no previous criminal record.