Canadian man pleads guilty to sexually exploiting 100-plus girls in the United States

A 40-year-old man from Toronto has pleaded guilty in the United States for sexually exploiting more than 100 children on social media.

The U.S. Justice Department says the Canadian man pleaded guilty in a Washington, D.C., court to charges of production of child pornography and coercion and enticement of a minor.

The department says the accused man was arrested on Dec. 3 after being temporarily surrendered to the U.S., where he has remained incarcerated pending trial.

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Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva says the man was hiding in another country behind a fabricated online persona, and he “used manipulation, threats and fear to coerce juveniles into producing and engaging in sexually explicit acts.”

The Justice Department says the 40-year-old admitted under a plea agreement that he sexually exploited more than 100 girls by posing as an American teenage boy for seven years, up until he was arrested in Canada.

It says the victims ranged in age from 11 to 17 years old and  they were located all over the United States.

The accused pleaded guilty to similar offences in Canada in October 2022 and was sentenced to 12 years in prison in the Canadian justice system.

The U.S. Justice Department says the man is facing a maximum penalty of life in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison, in addition to fines and a period of supervised release for the charges in the U.S.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27.