A Silver Spring, Maryland, man faces up to 60 years in prison after he admitted using “sextortion” against as many as 108 young girls online.
Crime stories
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Maryland, 28-year-old Chase William Mulligan would target the young girls online to get sexually explicit photos from them. When the girls refused, prosecutors said Mulligan would threaten to post pictures he already had of them online or in some cases, threatened to go to their homes.
The victims reportedly “sextorted” by Mulligan ranged in age from 17 years old to as young as 5 years old, prosecutors said.
“Mulligan used manipulation, fear, and intimidation to exploit over 100 young victims. Now we must ensure that we send a clear message to Mulligan, and others, that those who abuse the most vulnerable members of our communities will pay a steep price,” said Kelly Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, in a news release.
Mulligan is accused of using online platforms such as Snapchat, Discord, Roblox, Skype, Omegle and Instagram between 2019 and 2023 to contact his victims.
In addition to soliciting explicit photos, Mulligan coerced multiple girls into participating in sexual acts with dogs and performing other sexual acts on camera, according to prosecutors.
While many of the girls were in the U.S., prosecutors said he also convinced minors in countries such as Canada, Denmark, Spain, Philippines, the United Kingdom and Australia to send him sexually graphic photos of themselves.
“Chase Mulligan is a depraved and dangerous predator. He used social media to target, viciously threaten, and horribly abuse more than 100 minor victims,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge William DelBagno in a news release.
“His abhorrent behavior is not diminished by the fact he was thousands of miles away and never met his victims, rather, it’s the opposite. Despite his distance, he presents a serious threat to any child he can access through the internet. The FBI works diligently every day to find and arrest predators like Mulligan so they can no longer prey on innocent children,” DelBagno said.
As part of a plea deal, Mulligan pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child sexual abuse material in federal court. He must also register as a sex offender.
Mulligan is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 27.
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