A 19-year-old who admitted to blackmail, revenge porn, and bullying won his primary race for the Kansas House and is now running unopposed

A 19-year-old who admitted to blackmail, revenge porn, and bullying won his primary race for the Kansas House and is now running unopposed

    A 19-year-old who admitted to blackmailing a girl with naked pictures and harassing and bullying others has won his primary race for the Kansas House of Representatives. Aaron Coleman, a progressive Democrat, is now running unopposed in the state's November election. 
    Coleman admitted to the allegations of "bullying, revenge porn, and blackmail" in a June Facebook post, writing that these were the actions of a "sick and troubled" 14-year-old. He also said he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder at age 15 because he was put "in a closet" throughout elementary school. 
    Wyandotte County Election Commissioner Bruce Newby said on Monday that Coleman defeated incumbent Rep. Stan Frownfelter by 14 votes, according to KSHB Kansas City. There is currently no Republican challenger, making Coleman the sole candidate on November's ballot, KSHB reported.
    In an August 13 article, the editorial board of The Kansas City Star detailed the allegations against Coleman. One woman told the paper that when she and Coleman were both in middle school, he obtained a naked picture of her and threatened to share it with others if she didn't send more. When she said no, the woman alleged that Coleman sent the photo to "everyone" she knew. "I don't know how he got the picture. All I know is he's an awful person and he should not be allowed to run for anything," she told The Star. 
    Revenge porn, or the "unlawful dissemination of consensually taken images in blackmail and breach of privacy," became illegal in Kansas in 2016. 
    Another woman said that Coleman called her a "whale" and used expletives to insult her. That woman, who is now 18, told The Star that she attempted suicide as a result of his harassment. 
    Coleman told the Associated Press that these claims were "accurate." 
    "I made serious mistakes in middle school and I deeply regret and apologize for them. I've grown up a great deal since then," Coleman told The Star of his actions five years ago. 
    But Coleman's trouble wasn't just in middle school. He recently said on Facebook that he would "laugh and giggle" if John Whitmer, a Republican who previously served in the Kansas House, died of COVID-19, The Daily Dot reported.
    A spokesperson for Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, also a Democrat, told the Associated Press that Coleman is "not fit to serve in the Legislature." 
    Insider has reached out to Coleman and Wyandotte County election office for comment.
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