New Jersey man allegedly used ‘dark web’ to blackmail girlfriend’s teen sister into sex

A New Jersey man blackmailed his girlfriend’s teen sister into having sex on camera, claiming the “dark web” would release explicit photos of her if she did not, authorities alleged.

Bryan Cruz, 24, of Trenton, was held without bail on Friday on five counts of sexual assault and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child after the 14-year-old girl told police they had sex multiple times between September 2018 and June 2019 as part of his sick scheme, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The girl, the sister of Cruz’s girlfriend, told cops late last month she was 13 when she first got a strange text message in 2018 instructing her to get her “mom’s phone and we can see what we can do from there,” the affidavit states.

The teen proceeded to block the number before turning to Cruz, then 22, for advice, but he warned her the mysterious message was from the “dark web” – and that she should follow its instructions, records show.

Cruz told the teen the “dark web” had a photo of her holding a bag of marijuana that it would use against her if she didn’t comply with demands to take photos of herself in her underwear and while masturbating, which she eventually did, according to the affidavit.

The teen later sent the photos to Cruz, who, as a result of “technical difficulties,” said he would act as an intermediary between the girl and the “dark web,” the affidavit states.

Cruz then allegedly told the teen in September 2018 to leave the back door of her house open.

“The defendant later entered the residence and warned the victim that ‘the black web’ instructed him to have sex with her and they did while the defendant recorded the act with his cell phone as [proof] for ‘the black web,’” Trenton police wrote.

But the amorphous “dark web” wasn’t satisfied with the video quality, so Cruz told the teen they needed to have sex again, which they did on multiple occasions between September 2018 and June 2019, according to the affidavit.

Cruz also warned the teen “not to say anything to anybody” because he would get in trouble due to their age difference, the affidavit states, adding that the teen’s sister partially backed up her statement.

Cruz, meanwhile, told Trenton police he only told the girl to tell her mother about the text, according to the affidavit.

A judge ordered Cruz — who was charged Sept. 24 — held without bail during a detention hearing Friday, a spokeswoman for the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office told The Post.

A message seeking comment from Cruz’s attorney was not immediately returned Monday.