Mississippi woman faces nine felony charges involving “sextortion”

Published 7:30 am Sunday, April 2, 2023

A Natchez woman who allegedly attempted to blackmail someone with sexually explicit videos was booked at the Concordia Parish jail with a $111,000 bond on Wednesday.

Mandy Halford, 41, is charged with nine felonies, including extortion, four counts of identity theft and four counts of bank fraud.  She had been arrested a week prior with the help of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, authorities said.

In early 2023, Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crime Unit began investigating an alleged “sextortion,” when someone threatens to share a nude or sexual image or video of the victim unless they meet their demands.

Subscribe to our free email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

CPSO received a complaint from the victim who stated that a former friend — Halford — had stolen multiple checkbooks from his residence and cashed checks from them at four different locations totaling more than $2,300.

Additionally, the victim received text messages from Halford threatening to release sexually explicit videos involving him to both his employer and the general public unless he deposited a certain amount of money into her bank account, authorities said.

Further investigation revealed each location that the checks were cashed and additional funds that Halford illegally moved from the victim’s bank account into her account.