CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man who used Snapchat to coerce a minor to share little one pornography was sentenced to 17.5 years in jail immediately, introduced Dena J. King, U.S. Lawyer for the Western District of North Carolina. Sean Matthew Burney, 28, was additionally ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised launch and can be required to register as a intercourse offender after he’s launched from jail.
Robert M. DeWitt, Particular Agent in Cost of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Division (CMPD) be a part of U.S. Lawyer King in making immediately’s announcement.
In keeping with filed court docket paperwork and immediately’s sentencing listening to, between February 21 and February 24, 2021, Burney used Snapchat to coerce a minor male sufferer to create and share movies and pictures that contained little one pornography. The felony investigation started as soon as the minor sufferer’s mom contacted CMPD to report that her 14-year-old son was being blackmailed by way of Snapchat and was compelled to ship the blackmailer pictures and movies of the minor participating in sexually express conduct.
In keeping with court docket data, Burney represented himself as a feminine by way of Snapchat and contacted the sufferer. When the sufferer despatched the sexually express pictures to Burney, the sufferer was below the impression that he was speaking with a feminine. Courtroom data present that from that time on, Burney demanded further little one pornography from the sufferer, and threatened to submit the sufferer’s sexually express pictures and movies on social media if the sufferer didn’t comply. Burney continued to ask the sufferer for added little one pornography, realizing the sufferer was 14 years previous.
In keeping with court docket paperwork, when the sufferer didn’t reply to Burney, the defendant posted on Snapchat the sufferer’s account title and a caption to contact him if individuals wished movies.
Over the course of the investigation, regulation enforcement decided that the suspect Snapchat account belonged to Burney. A search warrant for the minor sufferer’s and Burney’s Snapchat accounts was executed. Throughout a forensic evaluation of fabric seized pursuant to the search warrants, regulation enforcement positioned the kid pornography.
On October 19, 2022, Burney pleaded responsible to distribution of kid pornography. He’s presently in federal custody. He can be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In saying immediately’s sentence, U.S. District Decide Frank D. Whitney mentioned that Burney’s predatory actions not solely focused a minor, however sought to take over his free will.
The FBI and CMPD dealt with the investigation.
Assistant United States Lawyer Stephanie Spaugh, of the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
This case was introduced as a part of Undertaking Protected Childhood, a nationwide initiative to fight the rising epidemic of kid sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in Might 2006 by the Division of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Workplaces and the Prison Division’s Little one Exploitation and Obscenity Part (CEOS), Undertaking Protected Childhood marshals federal, state and native sources to higher find, apprehend and prosecute people who exploit youngsters by way of the Web, in addition to to establish and rescue victims. For extra details about Undertaking Protected Childhood, please go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
