"According to court filings, Velez used social media to manipulate and threaten children into sending sexually explicit images. Prosecutors said that in 2022, when Velez was 26, he posed online as a 13-year-old boy and began communicating with an 11-year-old girl through Instagram. After convincing her to send explicit images, authorities said Velez threatened to kill her family if she did not continue complying."
"Investigators said Velez used similar tactics with multiple other minors, at times posing as a boy and at other times as a girl to gain victims' trust before demanding explicit material. In some instances, prosecutors said, he even threatened other family members to maintain control over the victims. In a statement, Nocella said the defendant "preyed on children" by exploiting fear and manipulation, and urged parents to speak with children about the dangers of strangers online."
Luis Velez, a Mexican national without legal U.S. status, pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of minors and was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison by US District Judge Pamela Chen. Authorities said Velez used social media, including Instagram, to pose as teenagers and manipulate children into sending sexually explicit images. In 2022, at age 26, he posed as a 13-year-old boy to communicate with an 11-year-old girl and threatened to kill her family to force compliance. Investigators reported similar tactics with multiple other minors, sometimes posing as a girl, and that he threatened family members to maintain control. Prosecutors said Velez will be deported after serving his sentence. Officials urged parents to talk with children about online stranger danger.
Read at LAmag
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]