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RIVERDALE — Police were investigating an odd extortion case Wednesday involving two men who have both been married to the same woman.
The blackmailing came to a head over the weekend when one man demanded sexual favors from the other and threatened to kill him if he refused, according to police.
Michael Bruce Seach, 49, was charged Wednesday in 2nd District Court with forcible sodomy and object rape, both first-degree felonies, and possession of a weapon by a restricted person, a third-degree felony.
The alleged victim told police that for the past seven to 10 months, Seach has demanded that the victim pay him off to prevent him from releasing some undisclosed information that he obtained from being married to the victim's former wife.
"Through that relationship, the suspect had gained some information on the victim and was using that information to extort him for money. And then had eventually used that information to extort him for the sexual assault and then had threatened his life if he did not participate," said Riverdale Police Lt. James Ebert.
The victim initially declined the sexual proposals. That's when Seach threatened his life in the Willard area, Ebert said. Between Saturday night and Sunday morning, the man was sexually assaulted at the Motel 6 on Riverdale Road.
The man escaped and ran to the front lobby to call police. Officers found him with a blindfold still around his neck, Ebert said.
That's when the alleged extortion story began to unfold. Ebert said the victim gave Seach money and signed over the title of his vehicle to him. Based on surveillance video, the lieutenant said investigators believed the allegations were true.
He said additional people were being interviewed and there were "more unusual parts of the case" that would come out at a later time.
Contributing: Mike Anderson
