Patrick Killen Jr., Sextortion, Florida 2015

In a shocking case of online exploitation, Patrick Killen Jr., 22, of Hialeah, Florida, has been sentenced to 139 years in prison for producing child pornography and engaging in sextortion.

According to court records and trial testimony, Killen created fraudulent social media accounts using assumed identities of teenage girls. He stole photographs of minor females from Facebook, Instagram, and other sources that he used in support of his falsified accounts.

Using the assumed female identities, Killen would search social media websites and engage teenage boys, generally between 11 and 14 years of age, in conversation using internet chat applications such as Kik, Skype, and Omegle. He would beg, bribe, and cajole the unsuspecting boys to send him sexually explicit pictures of themselves.

When many of these young boys expressed reticence in sending additional sexually explicit photographs, Killen would blackmail them by threatening to post the previously provided material on Instagram and other social media sites. He collected, catalogued, and traded the child pornography photographs and videos with other individuals around the world using peer-to-peer file sharing programs.

Killen produced, possessed, distributed, and received thousands of images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. His lengthy sentence sends a message to those who use the internet to target and extort children through sexual exploitation.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and Norwood New Jersey Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robb Emery and Ben Widlanski.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet.

Killen’s crimes are a stark reminder of the dangers of online exploitation and the importance of protecting our children from predators like Killen. His sentence serves as a warning to others who would engage in similar behavior.

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