BATH, NY — State Police arrested a Campbell man following an investigation into an attempted extortion scheme involving social media.
Andrew Kidder, 24, of Campbell, was charged with attempted grand larceny in the third degree as a hate crime, a class D felony.
On Feb. 6, 2026, State Police received a complaint from a Bath resident reporting that he had been targeted through a social media dating application.
The victim reported that after exchanging messages and images with an unknown individual, the suspect threatened to publicly disclose sensitive personal information unless the victim provided cash and other items of value.
An investigation conducted by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, including digital evidence analysis and subpoenas to social media platforms, identified Kidder as the individual responsible for creating and using fraudulent online accounts to carry out the scheme.
On March 17, 2026, State Police members responded to Kidder’s residence in the town of Campbell.
Kidder was transported to State Police barracks in Bath, where he was arrested and processed.
He was transported to the Steuben County Jail for centralized arraignment.
