Virginia man indicted for exploiting girl, flying to Minnesota to try and meet her, DOJ says

MINNEAPOLIS — A Virginia man flew to Minnesota to try and meet a teenage girl he allegedly contacted through social media and coerced into creating sexually explicit material, according to an indictment filed by U.S. Department of Justice.

The 41-year-old from Centreville, Virginia, had sexually-focused conversations with the girl between November of 2023 and February of 2024, the justice department says. The girl was between 13 and 14 years old.

According to the Department of Justice, the man coerced the girl to send him sexually explicit images and videos on Instagram, and he also sent her gifts.

The justice department says he flew to Minnesota in February to see the girl, but her family and law enforcement intervened, so he flew back to Virginia. He was arrested on Saturday in Fairfax City, Virginia. 

He made his first court appearance on Monday and will remain in custody in Virginia pending further proceedings in Minnesota. He was indicted with one count of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.

If you know of a child who may have been a victim of exploitation, call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or visit the website.