Blake Adam Austin, 35, of Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty Tuesday to cyberstalking, possessing child pornography, and distributing child pornography — a sordid crime spree that terrorized a local teacher and exposed minors to predatory exploitation.
According to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister, the case began when a middle school teacher in Topeka reported receiving disturbing emails from men who believed she had posted sexual ads on Craigslist. The ads weren’t hers — they were posted by Austin, who stole her identity and paired it with explicit content to lure men to contact her.
The harassment stretched on for years. Investigators eventually traced the fraudulent posts to an online account used by Austin. The victim identified him as a former coworker from a local coffee shop, where he had repeatedly tried — and failed — to start a relationship with her.
Authorities found that Austin used images of an adult porn star overlaid with the victim’s real contact information to create fake ads. He also posted at least half a dozen Craigslist ads using the woman’s photos and phone number, further exposing her to unwanted and dangerous attention.
A forensic examination of Austin’s laptop revealed more disturbing evidence: images of him engaged in sexual acts with a 17-year-old girl. Worse, investigators confirmed he uploaded sexually explicit photos of a girl under 15 years old via Skype, triggering the federal child pornography charges.
Sentencing is set for Aug. 20. Austin faces up to five years in federal prison on the cyberstalking charge, up to 10 years for possession of child pornography, and a mandatory minimum of five years for distribution. U.S. Attorney McAllister praised the Topeka Police Department, the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their relentless work on the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Kansas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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