Vista Man Tried to Blackmail Kids for Nudes

Joseph Daniel Saucedo, a 25-year-old man from Vista, California, was arraigned in federal court on December 15, 2016, after attempting to blackmail an 11-year-old Canadian boy and a 16-year-old girl from Florida into sending him nude images. Prosecutors say Saucedo used dual online personas—one as a teenage girl named “Amy” and another as a modeling agent—to manipulate and threaten the minors into producing sexually explicit content.

According to court documents, Saucedo posed as “Amy,” a teenage girl, and began chatting with the 11-year-old boy over the internet. What started as routine conversation quickly turned predatory. “Amy” sent the boy images of naked girls and demanded he speak to an adult male contact via FaceTime. When the boy refused, he was threatened with public exposure—specifically, a video of another young boy masturbating was sent to him with the warning it would be leaked and falsely attributed to him.

The psychological torture escalated over days. The Canadian boy eventually relented and exchanged messages with the adult male, who then sent explicit photos of himself on a bed. The boy repeatedly hung up, but the harassment continued until law enforcement in Calgary linked the online activity to Saucedo. Investigators uncovered scores of child pornography tied to his digital footprint and traced him back to Vista, California.

In a parallel scheme, Saucedo targeted a 16-year-old girl in Florida, posing as a modeling agent to lure her into sending nude photos. He used the same coercive tactics, threatening to expose her if she didn’t comply. Federal authorities say the operation was methodical and predatory, exploiting the vulnerabilities of minors across international borders.

Saucedo now faces three federal counts: one count of attempted use of a child to produce a visual depiction (18 U.S.C. §§ 2251(a) and (e)), carrying a minimum 25-year sentence and up to 50 years; one count of actual use of a child to produce such material, with the same penalties; and one count of receipt of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct (18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2)), punishable by 15 to 40 years in prison. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill Burkhardt ordered him detained without bond pending a hearing on December 22, 2016.

“As parents we need to aggressively monitor what our children are doing online, and as prosecutors, we will aggressively go after predators who are coercing, extorting and harming our kids,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. The case was jointly investigated by United States Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Secret Service. Victims are urged to contact Polly Montano, Victim-Witness Coordinator, at 619-546-8921.