Track coach with Illinois ties charged with cyberstalking, harassment
CHICAGO - The FBI is seeking more victims in the case of a former track and field coach who worked at two local colleges: Concordia University in River Forest and IIT on Chicago's South Side.
Early Wednesday morning, the FBI arrested 28-year-old Steven Waithe, charging him with cyberstalking and harassment.
Waithe most recently coached at Northeastern University in Massachusetts, but in the late 2010s coached at both IIT and Concordia.
Federal prosecutors say Waithe used his position as track coach to obtain nude or semi-nude photographs of female student-athletes, then used those same photos to try to trick them into sending him more photos by pretending he was law enforcement, or an online privacy protector.
In his first court appearance this afternoon, prosecutors called his behavior "brazen" and "predatory."
"He reached out purporting to be law enforcement and informing that victim he had a subpoena that he had certain photographs of her that were online and that he could help her get those photographs removed from the internet because of that subpoena power," said US Attorney Kate McClelland.
The FBI has issued an alert seeking more victims in their investigation.
That alert says Waithe used at least four alter-egos against his victims: privacy protector, the alias names "Katie Janovich" and "Kathryn Svoboda," or passing himself as a law enforcement official.
If you or someone you know may have been approached by Steve Waithe, the FBI asks you to fill out this form.
Waithe is due back in court Friday, when a judge will decide whether to keep him in custody pending trial.