A 24-year-old Virginia man was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to his use of the Snapchat social media platform to coerce dozens of girls, ages 12 to 17, “to engage in sexually explicit conduct,” the Justice Department said in a Sept. 25 news release.
Malachi Morgan Thomas received the sentence for “sexual exploitation of children and possession of child sexual abuse material,” the news release said, noting that he pleaded guilty in April.
Darren Cox, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington office, said Thomas caused “profound harm” to the victims. Cox said he hopes that the victims feel “some measure of justice” was done, and he emphasized the FBI’s dedication to rooting out offenders who prey on children….