photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Devaris Lamar Howard is pictured at a hearing in Douglas County District Court on March 23, 2023. Howard is charged with two felony counts of sexual extortion.

An Alabama man allegedly used explicit photos of a woman taken when she was 13 to blackmail her for more nude photos and as leverage to pressure the woman into a sexual act, according to a recently released affidavit.

The man, Devaris Lamar Howard, 20, of Gadsden, Alabama, is charged in Douglas County District Court with two felony counts of sexual extortion of a then 18-year-old woman by communicating a threat to injure her reputation by distributing an image or video of her in the nude, according to charging documents. The charges are in connection with a series of events occurring between August of 2022 and October of 2022.

According to the affidavit:

The now 19-year-old woman received a text message from a telephone number she did not recognize in 2022 with three photos of herself in various states of undress taken when she was approximately 13. The telephone number was later identified as Howard’s, according to the affidavit in support of his arrest.

The message asked the woman “Post these?” and the sender claimed that he was someone the woman knew in middle school.

The woman attempted to ignore the message and deleted it, but a few weeks later on Sept. 23, 2022, she received another message from Howard, threatening to post the images on social media and to send them to her family if she did not send more images of herself in the nude.

The woman, fearing the photos would be released, sent Howard three images of herself partially nude from her camera roll in her phone. One of the photos showing the woman’s buttocks was taken when she was 17.

Howard then used the new photos the woman sent to create an Instagram account with her name and messaged the woman that she must send more nude images of herself in order for him to take the Instagram page down, according to allegations in the affidavit.

Lawrence police were able to recover text messages exchanged between Howard and the woman.

“U follow yo new insta?” Howard texted the woman on Sept. 28, 2022.

“Delete that now,” the woman replied.

“I thought u said b bold. So be safe Ill have fun,” Howard replied.

The woman pleaded with Howard to delete the Instagram account and accused him of blackmail.

The woman said she sent four more pictures of herself totally nude to Howard via SnapChat and video chatted with Howard while she was nude in the shower in an effort to prevent Howard from sending any of the photos to her family or posting them on social media.

A few days later, on Oct. 2, Howard messaged the woman that he would be in the area and that he wanted to meet up with her and that he would not leave her alone until she agreed to a sex act.

The woman again pleaded with Howard and said that she had not agreed to any sexual activity and that she only sent the photos of herself in hopes that Howard would leave her alone. She messaged him that she has a panic attack every time he messages her.

“You keep saying I need this then I’ll leave you alone … I don’t want to do anything sexual,” the woman messaged Howard. “There are so many other girls that you can do that with. I’m sorry if that upset you I don’t want to upset you. But I don’t want to do that. I’ve done everything else. You said you wouldn’t force anything else.”

The woman described the man she had a video call with to police, and police said the description matched Howard. Police were also able to connect Howard’s Snapchat information with the account the woman had been exchanging messages with, they said.

As the Journal-World reported, Howard waived his right to a preliminary hearing in the case on March 23, and his defense attorney, Cooper Overstreet, said that he was working with the state to resolve the case short of trial. A trial is currently scheduled for July 17.

Howard was arrested on the charges on Nov. 22, 2022, and was released on a $15,000 cash or surety bond a few days later.