A Fort Lauderdale man has admitted to blackmailing minors into sending explicit images and videos of themselves in exchange for not releasing the content online.
Breshawn Hamilton, 21, pleaded guilty to child exploitation crimes in federal district court in Fort Lauderdale. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment.
The crimes took place from October 2019 through November 2020, during which time Hamilton used Instagram and other social networking platforms to meet and communicate with at least seven girls between the ages of 11 and 15.
Hamilton misrepresented his age, often pretending to be younger than he actually was, to gain the minors’ trust. He would then convince the minors to send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves. After obtaining the images and videos, Hamilton threatened to disseminate them unless the minors agreed to meet him for sexual intercourse or continue to provide him with additional videos and images.
Law enforcement confirmed that Hamilton met with some of the minor victims who resided in the Fort Lauderdale area in person and raped them, often in their own homes. At times, Hamilton recorded himself having sex with the minors.
Hamilton pled guilty to two counts of enticing a minor, four counts of production of child pornography, three counts of sending interstate extortionate threats, and one count of possession of child pornography. He is scheduled for sentencing at 9:00 a.m. on October 27, 2021, before U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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