ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – The Rock Hill Police Department has arrested David Martin O’Dehn, 27, on charges of Sexual Extortion.
This is the first arrest in the Tri-County since “Gavin’s Law” was passed in May 2023 in the state of South Carolina. “Gavin’s Law,” is a bill introduced by District 48 House Representative Brandon Guffey, which makes sexual extortion a crime in South Carolina. Guffey’s son, Gavin, became a victim to sextortion and died by suicide in 2022. Since then, Guffey has made it his mission to help other teens and adults.
According to the Rock Hill Police Department, detectives began an investigation on October 16, 2023, when the adult female victim reported O’Dehn was harassing her in numerous ways.
The victim reported O’Dehn was following her to work and loitering at the business. O’Dehn was also texting and contacting her through online services, police say.
They say as detectives investigated the case they learned O’Dehn has distributed private images of the victim. Police say O’Dehn allegedly distributed these images with the intent to force the victim to pay him money while threatening to further release these private images.
On November 1st, 2023, at 10:07 PM, officers located O’Dehn at the Bestway Inn and was taken into custody.
O’Dehn was transported to the Rock Hill Jail where he is waiting on a Bond Hearing in the Rock Hill Municipal Court.
Statement from Rep. Brandon Guffey:
“Leveraging someone’s shame is never acceptable, and people using that leverage against someone is one the top contributors currently to our mental health crisis. It breaks my heart that so many sextortion victims have taken their lives like Gavin did, but I am grateful that we now have a law on the books to hold individuals responsible. This is the first adult I am aware of being charged under Gavin’s Law, and it’s bittersweet that it’s in Rock Hill. Every citizen enjoys the constitutional protection of innocent until proven guilty, and this matter is no different. I want to thank RHPD for their commitment to the people of Rock Hill, and I hope this shows victims of sextortion across our state that there is now hope where there was once darkness.”
