BENTONVILLE (KFSM) — An Indiana man pleaded not guilty Monday (March 12) to blackmailing a Bentonville woman by sharing her nude photos online and with her coworkers.
Tyler Klingensmith, 30, of Indianapolis, Ind., is charged with sexual extortion, first-degree terroristic threatening, computer fraud and fraudulent use of a credit or debit card — all felonies.
Klingensmith also faces four misdemeanor charges, including harassment, violating a protection order, stalking and unlawfully distributing sexual images.
The woman told Bentonville police she broke up with Klingensmith in 2017, but in January he began harassing her and sent himself more than $1,700 through her PayPal account, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Klingensmith blamed the woman for deactivating his phone and demanded she reactivate it. He said the phone was his only means of communication and it stored important work information.
Klingensmith told the woman he was deciding “whether or not I continue to move forward with destroying your f—— life,” adding that unless she turned his phone back on, she wasn’t “getting a dime back,” according to the affidavit.
The woman said Klingensmith sent her a text that “all your friends” would be receiving her nude photos, which were sent via email to her coworkers and a supervisor, according to the affidavit.
Some of the woman’s non nude photos were also posted to Facebook, Tinder, Instagram and Craigslist, along with her contact information.
The woman said several men came to her house looking for dates while others shared photos of themselves and sent her text messages, according to the affidavit.
The woman said Klingensmith also threatened to drive to Arkansas, kidnap her and kill her mother.
Police spoke to Klingensmith on Jan. 15, but he said he had a stroke and was having trouble with his memory.
Police checked with Klingensmith’s supervisor, who said Klingensmith had only missed work because his family was recently involved in a car wreck, according to the affidavit.
Klingensmith was being held Tuesday (March 13) at the Benton County Jail on a $150,000 bond. He has a hearing set for April 26 in Benton County Circuit Court.
