LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A man is facing jail time and will need to pay $338,602 to a victim he stalked online.
Austin Genay pleaded guilty to wire fraud and stalking, according to federal court documents. On Monday, Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves sentenced Genay in federal court in Lexington to 22 months in prison for the charges.
In late 2015 and early 2016, Genay, who lived in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, was in an online chat room that serviced both the Georgetown, Kentucky area and the Philadelphia area, according to a federal indictment. Through that chat room, the indictment claims Genay engaged in an "online sexual relationship" with the victim, who lived in or near Georgetown, Kentucky.
From December 2015 to around July 2019, the indictment claims Genay repeatedly demanded money from the victim and regularly threatened to expose messages and screenshots if the victim did not comply.
The federal indictment states the victim paid Genay approximately $468,418 in a nearly 4-year time period. In Monday's ruling, Judge Reeves said Genay was liable for repaying $338,602 of that amount.
Following his release from prison, court documents state that Genay will be on supervised release for three years, which includes no direct or indirect contact with the victim or anyone associated with the victim.
