A Carbon Cliff, Illinois man was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison for blackmailing girls into sending him sexually explicit photos and videos.
According to U.S. Attorney Jim Lewis, Central District of Illinois, 22-year-old Daniel William Becker, Jr. pleaded guilty in January of 2014 to sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography.
Lewis said court documents and evidence presented during court hearings showed that “Becker blackmailed minor females via online social networking websites to send him photographs and videos of the girls engaged in sexually explicit acts.”
Additionally, Becker threatened to post these photos and videos publicly unless they sent more photos and videos to him, Lewis said.
On Thursday, June 26, U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow ordered Becker to serve 24 years and five months in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to make restitution to the victims; the hearing to determine how much he will pay was scheduled for September 18. Becker was also forced to give up all digital devices and his Carbon Cliff home.
Becker was arrested in March of 2013 and had been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service ever since.
The case was reportedly part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide effort aimed at fighting the exploitation and abuse of children.