A New York man who posed online as a teenage girl pleaded guilty in federal court today to attempting to produce child pornography by tricking children into sending him nude images of themselves.
Brandon David Cuddihe, 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to two counts of attempting to produce child pornography in Jefferson City, Mo.
By pleading guilty today, Cuddihe admitted that he posed on Facebook as a 14-year-old girl named ‘Hannah Richards.’ Using that false identity, he conversed with more than 150 people, many of whom were between 11 and 15 years of age.
Three minors, including two 10-year-olds and a teenager, are from the Sedalia, Mo., area. The mother of one of those victims contacted the Sedalia Police Department when she learned that her 10-year-old daughter had sent nude photos and videos via Facebook Messenger.
Under federal statutes, Cuddihe is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the FBI, the Sedalia, Mo., Police Department, the Binghamton, N.Y., Police Department, and the Broome County, N.Y., Sheriff’s Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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