Local man faces charge of felony video voyeurism after allegedly threatening to release sex tape
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IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls man has been arrested after law enforcement says he threatened to release a sex tape to prevent a local woman from moving out of state.
Bryce Gaylen Cook, 41, was booked into the Bonneville County Jail on Monday, Aug. 31, for investigation of one count of felony video voyeurism.
A Bonneville County sheriff’s deputy was dispatched on Aug. 31 to speak with a woman who wanted to make a report of sextortion. According to the police booking affidavit, she told the deputy that Cook had threatened to release a sex tape of her in an apparent attempt to prevent her from moving to Arizona.
The affidavit states that the woman gave her permission to record the sexual encounter between herself and Cook. She said Cook threatened to release the video when she told him she planned to move to Arizona with her new romantic partner.
The woman said Cook gave her 24 hours to inform her new partner before he sent the video to him, the affidavit says. The deputy notes that the woman’s statement indicated that Cook was attempting to degrade and coerce her into a romantic relationship with him.
Once Cook was questioned, the affidavit says he immediately denied having any kind of recording of himself and the woman. However, the deputy reported that Cook later admitted to having a 2-second video that he said “did not work out,” and that he had threatened to release it.
Text messages between the woman and Cook further supported the claim that Cook had been using the video as blackmail to pressure her into complying with him, according to the affidavit.
Cook is being represented by a public defender. The Idaho State Public Defender’s office does not comment on pending cases.
He is scheduled to appear before Magistrate Judge John Dewey on Friday at 1 p.m.
Though Cook has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.