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- Michael S. Dockery, Child Pornography Distribution, Lima OH, 2023 · Washington
- Kody Ray Gibbs, Child Pornography Possession, ID 2016 · Idaho
Tacoma Man Charged with Child Pornography and Enticement
A Tacoma, Washington man is facing federal charges after he allegedly used social media to find young girls and convince them to produce and send him sexually explicit photos and videos.
According to court documents, Brandon Kuper, 20, operating under the username “Merqzs”, used Discord and Snapchat to find an unknown number of young girls and convince them to produce and send him sexually explicit photos and videos.
Kuper threatened to harm his victims’ families or post sexually explicit photos of them online if they did not comply with his demands. In several instances, Kuper further asked his victims to cut his social media username, “Merqzs”, into their skin, photograph it, and send him the photos.
Kuper made his initial appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and detained pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on February 14, 2023.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Bend Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Potter and John Brassell are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org.
Key Facts
- State: Oregon
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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