Maryland Man Gets 25 Years for Child Sex Crimes

State of MD - A Maryland man will spend the next 25 years in federal prison after being convicted of producing child sexual abuse material through a sextortion scheme that targeted young girls on social media.

U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Isaiah Poole, 25, of Suitland, to 25 years in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release. He was convicted on one count of producing child sexual abuse material.

U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland announced the sentence alongside FBI Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the Baltimore Field Office.

Court documents say Poole used Snapchat and other social media accounts to manipulate and coerce at least six girls between the ages of 9 and 14. He pretended to be a teenage girl online and tricked the victims into sending him sexually explicit photos and videos, often by framing it as a game of truth or dare.

Poole also directed the minors to expose themselves and engage in sexual conduct. When some of the girls told him they no longer wanted to send images, he threatened to share the photos with their families and friends if they did not continue. He also distributed sexually explicit images he received from two of the victims.

The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Maryland State Police and the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Treiger and Brooke Oki prosecuted the case.

The prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to fight child sexual exploitation across the country.

The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to find, arrest, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. More information is available at justice.gov/psc.