Oakland Co. man accused of threatening Instagram influencer with AI porn

An Oakland County man is accused of using artificial intelligence to create pornographic images of a woman he was following on social media, then threatening to release them and assault her if she didn't give him attention, a federal complaint claims.

Joshua Stilman, 36, of Commerce Township is accused by the FBI of interstate extortion and cyberstalking, according to a complaint filed last week in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan.

The victim is not named in the complaint but is described as a "social media influencer with close to 100,000 Instagram followers."

In March, she allegedly received several explicit messages on Instagram from someone using the screenname FriendBlender, including AI-generated nude images of herself, according to court documents.

She initially tried to diffuse the situation with humor but FriendBlender eventually became more vulgar and threatened to release the images publicly if she did not respond to him, the lawsuit said. He also made threats against her safety, implying he would sexually assault her unless she responded.

"I wish you'd respond to some of my questions," he said in one message, the FBI alleged. "I really don't want to resort to posting things online ... I'm not going to expect you to talk to me everyday or even that often. But I want to know some naughty things about you."

In one message, FriendBlender sent his victim a link to a Google Drive collection of more AI-generated nude photos of her. However, according to the complaint, the link also displayed the name "Josh Stilman" in association with the Google account. The woman found that someone named Josh Stilman was following her Instagram account and had previously messaged her using an account with the screenname ThisDIYGuy.

According to court documents, the alleged victim then sent Stilman a message, asking, "Does your wife know you are messaging me." He then allegedly blocked her from both of his Instagram accounts and deleted the Google-based photo album, as well as his LinkedIn page.

The influencer also contacted other women who have said Stilman threatened them, some as early as 2019, according to the complaint. One alleged victim said Stilman had posted pornographic videos of her online without her consent.

After she contacted law enforcement, investigators were able to allegedly link Stilman to the FriendBlender and ThisDIYGuy Instagram accounts and found that on several occasions he had visited websites that are used to create AI-generated pornography, the complaint said.

Since the incident, the influencer has removed identifying details about her life from her social media accounts and has started carrying a weapon due to fears about her safety, according to authorities.

According to online court records, Stilman made an initial appearance Tuesday before Magistrate Judge Anthony P. Patti and he was released after posting a $10,000 bond. A preliminary examination is scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct. 14.

Stilman's attorney, Bradley J. Friendman, didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

mreinhart@detroitnews.com

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