A Texas man has been sentenced to over 11 years in prison for coercing minors he met on Instagram into sending sexually explicit materials. Juan Jose Torres, aged 27, received a sentence of 132 months in prison followed by seven years of supervised release. The sentencing took place in the U.S. District Court in Portland, Maine.
The case began when a victim's father discovered that his child had sent explicit photos and videos to someone they met on Instagram. Investigations revealed that Torres manipulated two teenagers into creating and sharing such content with him. He threatened self-harm or exposure of the images online if they refused to comply. Upon arrest in February 2023, Torres stated he was "just having fun" and enjoyed the attention from his victims.
U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee emphasized the importance of parental vigilance and communication with children about the dangers of sharing intimate images online: “Mr. Torres pretended to be something he wasn’t to befriend these young victims, then manipulated and exploited them into a situation they were too young to handle."
Michael J. Krol, HSI New England Special Agent in Charge, commented on the frequency of such crimes: “Torres manipulated children into providing explicit photos to him, using fear and threats to coerce them after they realized they wanted to stop.”
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led the investigation.
Reports from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children indicate a significant rise in online enticement cases between 2020 and 2023. This crime involves adults communicating with minors online intending sexual offenses or abduction.
For those affected by similar issues in Maine, support is available through a statewide helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
To combat these issues proactively, HSI offers Project iGuardian—an educational program aimed at protecting youth from online predators through awareness initiatives available for schools and community groups.
This case was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice focused on combating child sexual exploitation since its inception in May 2006.