Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Man pleads not guilty in sexual extortion case
BENTONVILLE — An Indiana man pleaded not guilty Monday to a variety of charges, including one accusing him of extorting money from a former girlfriend.
Tyler Burton Klingensmith, 30, of Indianapolis is charged with sexual extortion, fraudulent use of a credit or debit card, computer fraud, terroristic threatening, unlawful distribution of sexual images or recordings, harassing communications, stalking and violation of a protection order.
He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment before Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green. Klingensmith is being held on $150,000 bond in the Benton County Jail.
A woman told police she gave Klingensmith money to keep him happy because he threatened to post photographs of her or show up in Bentonville, according to a probable cause affidavit. Klingensmith is accused of sending the woman numerous email messages, including a threat to send all her friends an email with pictures and videos, according to the affidavit.
The woman told police Klingensmith created Facebook and Instagram accounts and a
Tinder profile in her name and placed an ad about her on Craigslist, according to the affidavit.
Two men went to the woman’s home because of the information on the sites, according to court documents. Bentonville police stopped another man from going to her house, according to court documents.
Klingensmith also is accused of making death threats to the woman, according to court documents.
The judge ordered that Klingensmith not have any computer access. He’s accused of violating a no-contact order by attempting to communicate with the woman via the jail’s messaging system for inmates.