An Inver Grove Heights man, Samuel Eric Snell, has been indicted on several charges related to the production of child sexual abuse material and coercion of minors into illegal sexual conduct. This was announced by United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Court documents reveal that Snell, 45, also known as "Storm Blackwood" and "Candy Man Sam MN," participated in an online community on Discord. This group allegedly sold services to adults involving minor girls referred to as "kittens," who offered companionship for payments through CashApp or gifts. The Discord channels involved were named “Fun Time Kitty Klub,” “Pretty Kitty Hangout,” “Safe Kitten Konnection,” and “Kitten Server Name.” Messages from Snell’s account show he solicited illicit images from individuals identifying as minors, who often expressed struggles with gender identity, sexuality, and mental health.
Snell reportedly followed a consistent pattern when requesting images from minors, starting with inner thigh photos before progressing to more explicit content. In some cases, he received sexually explicit images with the intention of grooming these minors for producing child sexual abuse material. He is also accused of sending electronic sex toys to minors for remote control use and soliciting depictions of their use. On two occasions, Snell allegedly took a minor to a hotel for paid sexual intercourse and provided emergency contraception afterward.
Authorities believe there may be additional victims connected to this case. They urge anyone whose minor dependents have interacted with Samuel Eric Snell to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
The indictment includes six counts of production of child pornography and two counts of coercing a minor into prostitution. Snell appeared in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster recently, with a detention hearing set for December 17, 2024.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. It involves collaboration between federal, state, and local resources to locate offenders exploiting children via the Internet while identifying and rescuing victims.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI with support from Inver Grove Heights Police and Woodbury Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Polachek is handling the prosecution.
It should be noted that an indictment is merely an allegation; Snell is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.