Man convicted in online sextortion case involving 3 Wilmington women

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A man will serve time in prison after he posed as a modeling scout and solicited photos of more than a dozen young women across North Carolina.

Kevin Allen Kerney, 33, entered pleas of guilty Monday to three counts of felony extortion and three counts of cyberstalking.

According to the District Attorney’s office, Kerney posed online as a female modeling scout and solicited photos “in various states of dress and undress” for potential modeling jobs. Once Kerney received photographs from at least 14 young women across North Carolina, he threatened to distribute the photos to family and friends if they did not provide photos of an even more revealing nature.

Two of the victims were UNCW students, authorities say.

Assistant District Attorney Connie Jordan stated, “The defendant tricked the victims into feeling comfortable that they were dealing with a female who worked in the modeling industry. As soon as he obtained what he wanted, he attempted to force them to give him additional photographs or to be embarrassed. These young women were brave enough to come forward to make sure Mr. Kerney could not do this to anyone else.”

Kerney committed similar offenses in Guilford, Montgomery, and Alamance counties. He pleaded guilty to offenses in Guilford County earlier this month.

Kerney will serve a minimum of 13 and a maximum of 25 months in prison.

When released from prison, Kerney will be on supervised probation for 36 months, will have to undergo mental health and sexual offender specific mental health examinations and comply with all treatment recommendations, he will have to abstain from social media, and he is ordered to have no contact with the witnesses or their families.