Texas judge hands 30-year sentence to man who coerced adults, minors via TikTok, Snapchat
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SAN ANTONIO, Texas - A California man was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in federal prison for coercing multiple victims through social media into committing acts of child sexual abuse and recording the assaults, federal prosecutors announced.
30-year sentence for online abuse:
What we know:
Markus Hudson Jr., 28, of Sacramento, was sentenced in federal court in San Antonio following his guilty plea in April to two counts: production of child pornography and coercion and enticement of a child.
According to court documents, Hudson used platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat to extort adults and minors by threatening to release explicit images or commit violence unless they complied with his demands.
Timeline:
In May 2023, Hudson coerced an adult woman in Uvalde into sexually assaulting a 6-year-old child during a video call by threatening to send nude photos of her to her family and friends. Hudson secretly recorded the assault using a second phone and later distributed images of the crime to one of the woman's former classmates after she refused further contact.
In June 2024, Hudson targeted a 14-year-old on Snapchat, threatening to shoot her home unless she appeared naked on a video call. After recording the call, he coerced the minor into engaging in sexual acts with other minors and an adult. Hudson again recorded the incident and shared the images with the minor's classmates.
In total, Hudson enticed and recorded the sexual activities of a 14-year-old, three other minors, and two adults, according to federal officials. He was arrested on Dec. 13, 2024.
What they're saying:
"Social media platforms have become an incredibly dangerous playground in which child predators victimize our most vulnerable and exploit them with sickening demands," U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons said in a statement. "Predators like this defendant should know that the seeming anonymity of the internet will not protect them from being held accountable for their actions."
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Uvalde Police Department, and the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from FBI Sacramento. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sade Bogart prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation.
The Source: Information in this article is from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas.