A Nebraska state senator whose position is in jeopardy over a computer-sex peccadillo was entrapped by an extortionist in an increasingly common scam, reports the Omaha World-Herald. State Sen. Bill Kintner, a Papillion Republican, met the woman online, and she urged him to visit with her via Skype. Kintner did so, using a state computer while staying in a Boston hotel room last summer. Moments after an explicit interaction, the woman wrote, “Ok let(‘s) talk now…You know th(e) impact this video will have on your life.”
The FBI Cyber Crime Task Force reports an increase in “romance scam” crimes. The scammers typically live outside the country and create fake profiles to communicate with their victims online. Kintner, 55, was fined a $1,000 civil penalty for misusing his state laptop computer. State police are investigating the extortion attempt, which the senator reported to authorities. Gov. Pete Ricketts has called on Kintner to resign from the Legislature. Kintner said Friday that he would not step down. Some senators have said they are exploring options for removing him.