Sextortion conviction ends coach’s run
A former Northeastern University track and field coach was sentenced to five years in prison for a “sexploitation scheme” in which he tricked women, including some of his athletes, into sending him nude photos of themselves.
“The depth of deceit demonstrated by Steve Waithe in this case is deeply disturbing. This predator readily betrayed the trust of over 50 women, tricking them into sending him explicit photos which he then used to exploit and extort them,” said Jodi Cohen, the special agent in charge of the Boston FBI, in a statement following sentencing yesterday.
Waithe, 31, who also coached at other universities including Penn State, Illinois Institute of Technology, the University of Tennessee, and Concordia University Chicago, pleaded guilty last November to 12 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and one count of computer fraud, according to court records.
Waithe also pleaded guilty to cyberstalking one victim through text messages and direct messages sent via social media, as well as by hacking into her Snapchat account, prosecutors said.
At his sentencing hearing, Judge Patti B. Saris heard from half a dozen of his 56 victims, some close to tears, before sentencing him to federal prison for five years for each count, though they are each to be served consecutively. She recommended a prison in Baltimore so he can be close to his family. This is to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Prosecutors in their memo wrote that “To many of the victims in this case, Steve Waithe presented himself as a relatable coach and mentor. To other victims, he was a work colleague or a random acquaintance. To still others, he was considered a childhood friend.
“However,” they added, “by the time of his arrest in April 2021, Steve Waithe was to all of these women only one thing: a predator.”