A Leesburg man has been arrested for allegedly sending explicit images of a former lover to a group thread she was in and threatening to post more.
On Feb. 16, an officer with the Eustis Police Department met with a complainant regarding allegations of cyber harassment between the female victim and 24-year-old Trevor Lynn Lane, according to an affidavit of probable cause out of Lake County.
The two had split from a previous relationship, and Lane relocated though would visit to interact with the children. After repeat verbal altercations with the victim, he was trespassed from the undisclosed Lake County residence in January, the affidavit said.
Lane’s behavior turned antagonistic, and he began threatening to post explicit pictures and videos of the victim online if his desired communication was not upheld. He since made frequent unwanted phone calls and sent aggressive text messages. On Feb. 3, he went so far as to send two photos of the victim performing oral sex on him. These images were sent to a group text thread, the affidavit said.
In addition to the sexual photos, Lane sent numerous messages threatening to leak further explicit content. Officers were given a transcription of these texts from Feb. 3 that the victim received from Lane’s number. In them, he threatened to post sex tapes and tag “the whole family” if she did not answer the phone by “4 o’clock,” the affidavit said.
On Feb. 17, an officer connected with one of the group members exposed to the photos, who confirmed the victim’s account. They were able to provide a USB containing screenshots of the text message thread, which was collected as evidence, the affidavit said.
Additionally, the victim further explained that she was visibly depicted in the photos and that the initial sexual acts along with the image creation were done consensually. However, she was under the impression the photos would be kept private, having never given Lane permission to share them, the affidavit said.
The affidavit noted that Lane was recently observed parked in the street outside the victim’s home. She feared that this behavior in tandem with the repeat messaging may escalate into something more sinister.
On Feb. 29, an officer met with the victim and another undisclosed individual at the EPD. The victim explained that Lane had continued to send concerning messages and had begun posting potentially slanderous content on social media. The officer confirmed with her that both prior explicit images sent to the group thread were of her. He also questioned how she knew the phone numbers belonged to Lane, to which she expressed having called and spoken to him on each, the affidavit said.
The other individual mentioned that he previously paid for Lane’s cellphone with one of the two numbers connected to that account. After he disconnected Lane’s phone, he communicated with him through the second number. The two had spoken, making it clear the number belonged to Lane, the affidavit said.
A controlled phone call was then conducted between the other individual’s cell phone number and Lane’s number. Under the officer’s direction, he contacted Lane and discussed the incident. Lane was asked why he sent the photo of the victim, and he stated that he did not remember and was “probably drinking,” the affidavit said.
A Eustis crime analyst conducted a criminal history check on Lane which showed numerous felony arrests, though none related to the aforementioned charges, the affidavit said.
Lane was ultimately arrested March 7 in Leesburg by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. He was charged with sexual cyber harassment and transported to Lake County Jail. He was released after posting $2,000 bond.
