Sean Matthew Burney, Distribution of Child Pornography, North Carolina 2022

A Charlotte man who used Snapchat to coerce a minor into sharing child pornography has been sentenced to 17.5 years in prison.

Sean Matthew Burney, 28, was ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.

The investigation began when the minor victim’s mother contacted the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) to report that her 14-year-old son was being blackmailed via Snapchat and was forced to send the blackmailer images and videos of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

According to court records, Burney represented himself as a female via Snapchat and contacted the victim. When the victim sent the sexually explicit images to Burney, the victim was under the impression that he was communicating with a female.

Court records show that from that point on, Burney demanded additional child pornography from the victim, and threatened to post the victim’s sexually explicit images and videos on social media if the victim did not comply.

Burney pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography on October 19, 2022, and is currently in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney said that Burney’s predatory actions not only targeted a minor, but sought to take over his free will.

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