Track coach gets prison for blackmailing players and women on internet

The former coach used his position as a mentor to exploit others, according to prosecutors.

March 11th 2024.

Track coach gets prison for blackmailing players and women on internet
Steve Waithe was a former track coach at Northeastern University in Boston who has recently been sentenced to five years in federal prison for his appalling actions. His scheme involved tricking women into sending him explicit nude photos, which he used for his own pleasure. This deceitful behavior went on for years, and Waithe's actions have caused significant harm to over 50 female victims.

Waithe's role as a coach at the college gave him access to his players and their practices, where he filmed them and secretly took their pictures. He then used various methods, as outlined by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, to obtain these photos without the women's consent. This manipulation of trust and power is deeply disturbing and unacceptable.

Even after he left his coaching role in 2020, Waithe continued his malicious actions by creating fake social media accounts and posing as a woman to solicit nude or sexualized photographs from unsuspecting women. He claimed he needed the pictures for "research" on body development, but it was all a ploy to satisfy his own twisted desires. This level of deception is unforgivable.

Waithe's crimes did not stop even after his arrest in April 2021. He pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including 12 counts of wire fraud and one count of computer fraud. He also cyberstalked one woman and caused emotional trauma to over 170 women in total. During his trial, six of his victims bravely testified against him, highlighting the magnitude of his actions.

The prosecutors in this case also emphasized how Waithe took advantage of his position as a coach and mentor figure to manipulate and exploit these women. To some, he was a trusted coach and mentor, while to others, he was a work colleague or a childhood friend. But in the end, he was nothing but a predator who used his relationships and position for his own pleasure.

Upon his conviction, the acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy condemned his actions as "deplorable" and acknowledged the lasting trauma his victims will have to endure. Waithe's "sextortion" scheme has caused immense harm and devastation, and it is crucial that he is held accountable for his despicable actions. We stand with the courageous victims who came forward and helped bring justice in this case.

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