⏱ 2 min read
A brazen online predator from Cypress, Texas, has been locked up for 45 years after using video chat sites to lure 23 minors into sending him pornographic images.
Patrick Tran, 42, pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography in October 2025.
The FBI investigation began in October 2020, after a relative reported suspicious communications indicating Tran had directed a minor to send him nude photos. Forensic analysis revealed chats in which Tran solicited photos and videos, threatening to post a video unless the victim sent additional images.
One victim testified that Tran made her feel like an object, physically and mentally abusing her without touching her. She contemplated suicide, thinking it was her only way out of the nightmare.
Tran was also ordered to pay over $108,000 in restitution to one of the victims and will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term.
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