A North Bethesda, Maryland, man was sentenced on Wednesday to 10 years in prison for coercing a minor to send him inappropriate photos over social media.
In March 2022, 37-year-old Jonathan Willis began communicating with a 14-year-old D.C. girl on Snapchat. He offered her money in exchange for sexually explicit photographs, according to the Department of Justice. Over a two-week period, Willis sent the girl lewd photos and videos and repeatedly asked her to come to his home in Maryland.
The girl refused and reported the messages to law enforcement.
In May 2022, a law enforcement officer assumed the girl’s identity on Snapchat as Willis continued to send photos and attempt to persuade her to come to his home. The case was investigated by the FBI, as well as local detectives.
Willis pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in D.C. on March 15 of this year.
In addition to the prison term, Willis must go through 10 years of supervised release and is ordered to register as a sex offender for 25 years.