Columbus man offers guilty plea for coercing minor girls nationwide into sending sexually explicit videos, images through various social media platforms

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man offered his guilty plea in U.S. District Court today to four crimes related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The man chatted with minor females located throughout the country on Instagram, Snapchat and other social media sites and requested that the girls send him videos of themselves engaged in sexual acts.

Specifically, Michael T. Sutherin, 21, agreed to plead guilty to two counts of coercing a minor and two counts of receiving child pornography.

Sutherin met minor females through Instagram, Snapchat, Kik and Telegram and coerced at least four 12 to 15 year olds to engage in sexual activities on video.

Forensic examination of Sutherin’s phone and laptop confirmed that Sutherin had used social media to solicit minor girls for sexually explicit videos and images of themselves. Sutherin also used social media to request and trade child pornography.

Review of Sutherin’s conversations with the girls show that he instructed the minors to call him “daddy.”

The parties involved in this case have recommended a prison sentence of 12 years.

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorneys Heather A. Hill and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in this case.