PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) – The Mississippi State Department of Health is lending a hand to patients in need of transportation.

The department is offering free rides to county health departments for medical services or WIC appointments.

“As long as you have an appointment with the health department or have a prescription you received from the health department and need to go to the pharmacy to get it, there are no limits,” Forrest County Community Health Director Brandi Sanford said.

The MSDH has partnered with Uber rideshare service to pick people up.

Adults over 18 must schedule rides at least 30 minutes before an appointment. Up to four passengers are allowed.

“We do understand parents need to bring children.” MSDH Director of Health Equity Nikki Johnson said. “Individuals may have to bring caretakers, Our families may have to accompany patients to the clinic.”

So far, 892 rides have been scheduled across the state since the program opened.

Sanford said 413 of those rides were scheduled in Forrest County alone, mainly University of Southern Mississippi students.

“College students are really embracing this program,” said Sanford. “So, we want to get the word out around the state and other areas around here also.”

Johnson added that the MSDH needs more drivers to come on board.

That way, they can expand the program into more rural areas, especially in those areas where we see no availability of drivers,” Johnson said. “So, we have created a campaign encouraging individuals to become an Uber driver.”

Patients can schedule a ride in-person at their local health department or over the phone at (601) 206-1050.

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JACKSON — A Jackson man was arrested Thursday in Jackson on federal charges relating to an alleged “sextortion” scheme that targeted multiple victims, including minors.

According to a nine-count indictment unsealed this week, Marquez Cameron Jones Weston, 22, allegedly operated a “sextortion” scheme in which he engaged in cyberstalking, interstate threats, extortion, attempted production of child pornography, and transportation of child pornography over the internet. As part of the scheme charged in the indictment, Weston attempted to and did extort money and nude and sexually explicit photographic images from at least 47 different identified female individuals over the internet, with more unidentified. Several of these females were minors.  The indictment alleges Weston committed these crimes from July 2023 through February 2024.

“We are seeing a troubling increase throughout the nation of ‘sextortion’ as criminals, like this defendant, use the information they gain through online communications, hacking, or other means to blackmail juveniles and other victims into giving them pornography,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee. “I encourage parents to be aware of who their children are communicating with online, and all internet users to be cautious about sharing their personal information online.”

“Today’s arrest demonstrates the steadfast commitment of the FBI, USAO and our law enforcement partners in protecting our communities from being victimized by sextortion,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff.  “Marquez Cameron Jones Weston’s deliberate actions in targeting the innocence of our youth will not be tolerated. The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate and bring predatory individuals, like Mr. Weston, to justice.”

Weston made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew S. Harris of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.

In February, a federal grand jury named Weston in a separate indictment charging him with possession of child pornography. If convicted of that charge, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Sam Houston State University Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.

The FBI provides the following six tips on how people can protect themselves from sextortion schemes:

• Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you.
• Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
• Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims.
• Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and this person asks you to start talking on a different platform.
• Be in the know. Any content you create online — whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually “disappears” online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next.
• Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone.

If you, your child, or someone you know is being exploited via sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or report it online at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Additional resources can found at Sextortion and Financially Motivated Sextortion — FBI.  If you believe you are a victim in this particular case, please also contact the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.

U.S. Attorney Todd Gee recently recorded an Internet Safety PSA warning about the dangers of online predators.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.