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Thursday, July 30, 2026

Muskingum County Jury Convicts Derron Felder on Five Counts of Sexual Extortion and Five Counts of Extortion

Muskingum County Prosecutor Ron Welch announced today that a Muskingum County jury found Derron Felder guilty on all ten felony counts charged against him following a jury trial in the Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas. After deliberating for less than 30 minutes, the jury convicted Felder of five counts of Sexual Extortion and five counts of Extortion.

Evidence presented during trial established that Felder repeatedly threatened to post or share intimate photographs and videos of the victim unless she restored an article to an online publication. Felder repeatedly threatened to post the materials to ruin the victim’s career and humiliate her. During questioning by Prosecutor Ron Welch, Felder admitted he had written the article about himself to promote his involvement in a contest for Entrepreneur of the Year. A contest that other witnesses later testified was flagged by Facebook as a security risk due to scamming.

Justin Wyatt, owner of the Muskingum Mediator website, testified he brought Felder on staff as an investigative reporter within the past year. Wyatt further testified that when he attempted to repost the article, he was unable to do so and was later notified numerous subscribers who had attempted to vote in the contest were locked out of their accounts because of the security concerns created by the post.

The State presented evidence including written Facebook messages as well as audio messages of the defendant making the threats. The State argued throughout the trial that the case was never about the parties' prior relationship or the circumstances under which the intimate images were created. Instead, the evidence demonstrated that Felder purposely used the threat of exposing those private images to get his article reposted.

During the trial, Felder chose to testify in his own defense. During cross-examination by Muskingum County Prosecutor Ron Welch, Felder admitted to his crimes. In addition to acknowledging the threats at issue in the case, Felder admitted that he enlisted friends to create fake social media accounts in an effort to assist his defense. He further admitted that he received information from friends who were monitoring and stalking the victim's social media activity after the offenses occurred.

The victim's identity is not being released in order to protect her privacy.

"Threatening to expose another person's intimate images is one of the most unforgivable violations of trust imaginable," said Muskingum County Prosecutor Ron Welch. "These images are shared in confidence, with the expectation they will remain private. The moment someone turns that trust into a weapon to intimidate, control, or force another person to comply with their demands, they have crossed a line that both our community and Ohio law will not tolerate."

The jury's verdict sends a clear message that no personal disagreement, failed relationship, perceived grievance, or anything else gives anyone the right to commit extortion or sexual extortion.

Although the jury returned guilty verdicts on ten felony counts, sentencing will occur at a later date. Because the extortion and sexual extortion offenses are expected to merge for purposes of sentencing under Ohio law, Felder faces a maximum potential prison sentence of up to 15 years.

At sentencing, the Court will also consider Felder's criminal history. Court records reflect that Felder has an extensive criminal record, including prior convictions for Aggravated Robbery, Trafficking in Drugs, Felonious Assault, and Domestic Violence, among other offenses. Those prior convictions will be factors the State asks the Court to consider in determining an appropriate sentence.

Welch concluded by emphasizing the broader significance of the verdict.

"Sexual extortion is not simply an attack on a person's privacy, it is an attack on their dignity, their reputation, their livelihood, and their peace of mind. Every victim deserves to know that our office will aggressively prosecute those who use fear, humiliation, and intimate images as weapons. Today's verdict sends that message loud and clear."

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled by the Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas.

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