Michigan Man Arrested For AI Photo Extortion Scheme
Federal Agents Raid Michigan Home
In a dramatic scene, federal agents with weapons and shields drawn raided a home in Commerce Township, Michigan, arresting a man now at the center of a federal cyberstalking and extortion investigation. According to court records, federal authorities have charged 36-year-old Joshua Justin Stilman with cyberstalking and making interstate threats to extort.
The AI-Powered Extortion Scheme
The FBI's criminal complaint details a disturbing modern-day harassment tactic. Stilman allegedly operated under the Instagram handles “friendblender” and “thisDIYguy” to stalk his victims. The complaint states he used artificial intelligence to generate nude and pornographic images of women. He would then send these fabricated images to the victims, threatening to post them publicly if they did not respond to his messages.
A Victim's Terrifying Experience
One target, a social media influencer, initially tried to handle the unwanted messages with humor. However, the correspondence quickly turned vulgar and escalated to direct threats. The complaint quotes several of Stilman's messages, which reveal a chilling pattern of coercion.
“Can you play along though?” “Easiest way to get rid of me lol.”
“You weren’t responding.” “I’m gonna expletive you one day. And I’ve got an expletive, so I’ll expletive deep.”
“I wish you’d respond to some of my questions. I really don’t want to resort to posting things online. I have much more than you’ve seen... I expletive off to you every day. I just want to know what you like.”
The influencer began documenting the harassment by taking screenshots and screen recordings. Fearing for her and her family's safety, she removed personal information from her public website and began carrying a weapon. The complaint also mentions that Stilman threatened another woman by posting non-consensual pornographic videos online. It is reported that one of the victims has been in contact with other women who have allegedly been threatened by Stilman, with some incidents dating back to 2019 or 2020.
Law Enforcement and Expert Warnings
The investigation was a collaborative effort between FBI Detroit and FBI Portland to identify Stilman. Public records show he also has a bench warrant from Romulus for a traffic misdemeanor and was involved in a mental-health call in Livonia in April 2024.
Cybersecurity experts are sounding the alarm on this targeted form of harassment, known as spear-phishing. Matt Loria, CEO of Auxiom, explained, “The old way seemed to be more of a broad-based attack... Now we’re seeing that real spear-phishing where they’re going after certain individuals, especially if they find them attractive or if they’re an influencer.”
Experts strongly advise anyone who receives such threats to avoid engaging with the harasser or paying any ransom. Instead, they should immediately document all communication and report the incident to law enforcement. “You have to report these types of incidents or they don’t get dealt with,” Loria emphasized.
