An attempt to find friendship on Craigslist turned into a costly lesson for a 67-year-old Delray Beach man.
The man told police he turned to the online classifieds to find someone to keep him company.
He says he met a woman and she agreed to come to his residence where they had sex.
Afterwards, he says she told him she was only seventeen and unless he took her shopping she was going to call police and tell her father.
The man says he brought her to the mall and spent more than $7,000 on her.
Days later, he says the woman called back and demanded another $3,500 or she would release photos taken during their encounter.
He says she threatened to go to the police if she didn’t get the money, which she wanted as a down payment on a car.
When he refused, he claims she texted him saying he would now need to come up with $8,000 or more to spend on a lawyer because she was going to turn him in.
It turns out the woman, identified as Vanessa Lateisha Hall, was not 17, but 28, according to Delray Beach police.
The alleged victim identified Hall in a photo lineup.
He told police he is suffering from stage-four cancer and was concerned he was going to have a heart attack due to the stress from Hall’s threats.
Police arrested Hall and charged her with extortion.
The site on Craigslist where the man met Hall has a disclaimer that states you must be eighteen years of age or older, according to a probable cause affidavit.