Federal prosecutors: Minnesota man targeted more than 500 girls for sextortion scheme

MINNEAPOLIS — A St. Paul man is facing federal charges after prosecutors say he targeted more than 500 underage girls in a sextortion scheme.

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In a news release, federal prosecutors said Yue Vang, 31, used apps and social media sites like Kik, Snapchat, and Skype to talk to hundreds of underage girls across the United States and overseas. Vang is accused of pretending to be female “to entice and coerce” the girls to send sexually explicit images and videos of themselves. Vang is also accused of threatening to send sexually explicit images of the minors to their friends, family, and classmates unless they created and sent him additional videos and photos.

Prosecutors said that in one case, Vang talked with a 15-year-old girl and threatened to send out nude pictures of her and “ruin her life” unless she complied with his demands.

Court documents obtained by The Pioneer Press indicate that Vang was talking to girls from late 2015 through September 2020.

So far, investigators have identified more than 500 victims but said they are continuing to identify more. Anyone who thinks they may have been victimized is encouraged to visit the Department of Justice website.

Vang faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison if he’s convicted, KSTP reported.

The FBI says kids and teens need to be careful about who they are communicating with online, and to block or ignore messages from strangers.

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