Former Glastonbury Student Faces Extortion, Promoting Obscene Performance Charges in Internet Scheme

A former Glastonbury High School student is facing charges that he apparently lured another teen to take explicit photos of himself and email them in what authorities are describing as a ‘cat fishing scheme’ that preyed on as many as 18 boys and men around Connecticut.

The student, who lives in Hartford and now attends a Hartford school since his arrest in December, reportedly posed as a 13-year-old girl sending Facebook friend requests to the unsuspecting victims who chatted online and exchanged sexually explicit photos, according to The Hartford Courant. When “the girl” demanded a gift card in exchange for not posting the photos on the victim’s Facebook page, the 15-year-old victim and his mother went to West Hartford Police, according to the report.

The Courant reports that police discovered the 13-year-old girl was actually a 15-year-old student of Glastonbury High School who may have tried the same “cat fishing scheme” with 18 other boys and men in Connecticut. [‘Cat fishing’ involves internet predators that fabricate online identities and entire social circles to trick people into emotional/romantic relationships.” according to Urban Dictionary.com.]

The 15-year-old, identified as Eddie Matos, was arrested Dec. 10 on three counts of first-degree larceny by extortion, two counts of promoting a minor in an obscene performance and one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny.

The case against Matos, who is now 16, has been transferred to adult court in Hartford where records were unsealed this week, according to The Courant. According to the Connecticut Judicial Branch website, Matos has pleaded not guilty to the charges and remains free on $100,000 bond. He’s scheduled to return to court May 21.

Following his arrest, Matos was not allowed to return to Glastonbury High, according to The Courant.

The Hartford Courant story can be found here.

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