CHICAGO (AP) — An Illinois man accused of threatening a girl into sending explicit photos has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography and sexually exploiting a child.
David Cottrell, 30, was accused of communicating with the girl on social apps and convincing her to send photos of herself. He told the girl that he knew her real name, school and parents’ jobs and would post the images online if she didn’t send more, prosecutors said.
The girls’ parents discovered the messages in 2017 and contacted authorities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in northern Illinois said.
Prosecutors said Cottrell admitted that he used a similar strategy against four other minors. He will be sentenced on June 4.
