Southern California man who targeted and extorted young girls on Snapchat sentenced to prison
03/21/2024 3:33 pm PDT
VENTURA, Calif. (TCD) -- A 21-year-old man will spend nearly two decades behind bars after contacting two minors on Snapchat, extorting them, and coercing at least one of them into engaging in sexual acts with him in person.
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that Connor Kerns was sentenced on March 19 to 19 years in state prison for forcible rape, forcible oral copulation of a minor over 14, and forcible penetration of genital and anal opening of a child under 14 years old. He pleaded guilty in February to the charges, as well as special allegations of victim was 14 years of age or older, victim was vulnerable, violent sex offenses, and Ventura County has jurisdiction.
According to the district attorney's office, Kerns contacted a 16-year-old girl via Snapchat in July 2021, and they had multiple conversations even though the defendant knew she was a minor. Kerns reportedly "coerced her into sending him sexually provocative pictures of herself," and he saved them onto his phone.
Kerns created another Snapchat account days later posing as a man named Dexter. The district attorney's office said he used the fake account to contact the first victim, told her he had hacked Kerns' account, and then he "threatened to post the victim's provocative pictures online unless she agreed to send him nude photos/videos of herself." The victim sent the photos because she was "scared she would get in trouble," the district attorney's office said.
Kerns also used the fake account to make the victim engage in sexual acts with the defendant in person, and the 16-year-old girl complied "out of fear."
According to the district attorney's office, Kerns continued to use the fake Dexter account to force the victim to do more. The girl eventually contacted law enforcement.
Upon further investigation, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office learned that in January 2022, Kerns contacted another victim, a 13-year-old girl from Los Angeles County. Similarly to the first victim, Kerns reportedly "coerced this victim into sending him numerous sexually explicit photos/videos of herself."
Kerns threatened to release the photos and videos online if she didn't follow his orders. The victim reported the incident to her parents, who then contacted the Los Angeles Police Department.
The sheriff's office arrested Kerns on June 23, 2022.
Deputy District Attorney Benjamin Moreno, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Sexual Assault Unit who prosecuted the case said, "The severity of this sentence highlights the defendant’s appalling crimes while demonstrating the perils of social media."
He continued, "The defendant sexually exploited vulnerable young girls, inflicting irreparable harm in the process. This sentence sends a clear message that such despicable acts won't be tolerated, and sexual predators will face full prosecution. We hope it serves as a reminder to parents to stay vigilant and discuss social media risks with their children."
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