A Jackson man has pleaded guilty to federal charges connected to a "sextortion" scheme targeting multiple victims, including minors, across various states. Marquez Cameron Jones Weston, 22, was involved in cyberstalking, interstate threats, extortion, attempted production of child pornography, and transportation of child pornography over the internet.
Weston admitted guilt to charges of attempted production of child pornography, transportation of child pornography over the internet, extortion, and cyberstalking. He is scheduled for sentencing on August 27, 2025. The mandatory minimum sentence he faces is at least 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the final sentence after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI is investigating with assistance from the Sam Houston State University Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly T. Purdie and Dave Fulcher are prosecuting the case.
The FBI has issued six tips to help individuals protect themselves from sextortion schemes:
1. Be cautious about what you share online as open social media accounts can provide predators with information.
2. Be wary of first-time online encounters and block or ignore messages from strangers.
3. Understand that people can pretend to be anyone online; videos and photos may not prove identity as they can be altered or stolen.
4. Be suspicious if someone met on one platform asks to communicate on another.
5. Remember that any content created online can become public; nothing truly disappears once shared.
6. Seek help if you receive unsettling messages or requests online by blocking senders or reporting behavior.
If you or someone you know is being exploited through sextortion, contact your local FBI field office or report it via 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Additional resources are available through Sextortion and Financially Motivated Sextortion — FBI.
For those who believe they are victims in this specific case, contacting the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Mississippi is advised.
