Vincenzo Leonardi, Child Pornography Production, Virginia 2016

Child Predator Lured 9-Year-Old with Fake Social Media Profile

Alexandria, Va. – In a shocking case of online exploitation, a 27-year-old man from Ohio has pleaded guilty to producing child pornography. Vincenzo Leonardi, of Lakewood, Ohio, admitted to creating explicit content by coercing minor boys into sending him sexually explicit photographs and videos.

According to court documents, Leonardi used a fake social media profile, posing as a 13-year-old girl named ‘Taylor Capps,’ to contact minor boys online. He would send them pictures of underage girls and other naked females, eventually convincing them to record and send him explicit content. One victim, from Loudoun County, was just 9 years old when he was targeted.

Between May 2012 and February 2016, Leonardi successfully enticed and coerced at least six minor boys to produce explicit content. His laptop computer, seized during a search warrant in December 2015, contained over two dozen videos and more than 100 images of minors.

Leonardi faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years when sentenced on May 12. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, along with the FBI and Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maya D. Song and Jay V. Prabhu are prosecuting the case, with significant aid from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Ohio and the District of Maryland. U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea, paving the way for Leonardi’s sentencing.

As the case demonstrates, online predators pose a significant threat to children’s safety. Parents and guardians must remain vigilant and educate their children about the dangers of online exploitation.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information can be accessed on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-247.

For more information, contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at [insert contact information].

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