FBI nabs 'sextortion' suspect

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INDIANAPOLIS, April 9 (UPI) -- An Indiana man has been charged in the sexual exploitation of two young boys and the FBI says he may have attempted to blackmail 100 more.

U.S. Attorney Joseph Hogsett told an Indianapolis news conference Monday Richard Finkbiner, 39, allegedly found sexually explicit Internet photos of two 14-year-old boys, then contacted the youths with threats to post the photos to gay Web sites or e-mail them to friends and family members if he was not sent additional photos.

Police found 1,000 images on Finkbiner's home computer. He confessed to blackmail known as "sextortion," the threat to publicly disclose sexually explicit photos of the victims, of at least 100 boys, said Robert Holley, FBI agent in charge for the Indianapolis Field Office.

Federal officials said the arrest might figure in a nationwide Internet ring with hundreds of young victims. The Indianapolis Star said Monday that if true, it would rank as one of the broadest cases of "sextortion" on record.

Finkbiner was arrested at his home in Brazil, near Terre Haute, where he runs an Internet service company, and is being held in Vigo County Jail.