PORTLAND, Ore. — A Portland man is facing federal charges for allegedly using Instagram to persuade minors to send him sexually explicit photos, according to the Oregon District Attorney’s Office.
Solomon Dean Cook, 18, has been charged with sexual exploitation of minors, attempted sexual exploitation of minors, receiving child pornography and possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Cook came under investigation in January when the father of a minor victim in Portland called the FBI to report that an Instagram user had persuaded his daughter to share a sexually explicit photo.
Cook then threatened the girl to distribute the image unless she continued to send him suggestive images, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
The victim told police that there was a second victim in Portland who had been victimized by Cook. She told investigators that Cook posted inappropriate photos of both victims on her Instagram stories.
Federal agents traced two Instagram accounts to Cook.
On May 11, 2022, agents searched his home, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
During the search, Cook confessed to persuading victims to take explicit photos of themselves and exploiting other victims in the same way.
Cook was arrested and appeared in federal court. His second appearance will be June 10.
If Cook is convicted, he would face a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison with a mandatory minimum of 15 years, life in supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
You can also be ordered to pay restitution to your victims.
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