Man charged with extortion, holding woman against will
28-year-old man charged with extortion, sharing intimate photos
An Ottawa man is facing several charges for allegedly holding an American woman against her will in the Ottawa neighbourhood of Kanata and extorting her for sexually explicit photos and videos.
Investigators in Ottawa received information from U.S. Department of Homeland Security that a woman was being extorted in the city's west end, Ottawa police wrote in a release.
Officers went to a home in Kanata on Tuesday and found a 20-year-old woman being held against her will. According to court documents, the woman was held for some time on Tuesday.
The woman was assessed and flown back to her family on Wednesday.
Ryan Earl McCann, 28, was arrested and is charged with forcible confinement and two counts each of extortion and non-consensual distribution of intimate images.
The charges relate to two different victims, and police say they believe there may be other victims in Ottawa.
McCann appeared in court on Wednesday and was remanded in custody.
He could face other charges, police said.
In 2010, McCann was sentenced to eight years in prison for luring and blackmailing teenage girls.
McCann had also pleaded guilty to 26 charges, including harassment and making child pornography, involving 22 female victims, some as young as 14-years-old.
He later appealed that conviction but the appeal was dismissed in 2011.