A Utah teenager is facing 22 felonies in adult court after police say he posed as a woman online and solicited nude photos from minors.
The 18-year-old man was charged with a dozen counts of second-degree felony sexual exploitation of a minor and another 10 counts of third-degree felony dealing in harmful material to a minor by an adult.
Prosecutors allege in charging documents that the teen posed as a woman on Facebook, and made “friends” with eleven alleged victims who are under the age of 18. After some conversation, the teen would ask for nude photos from the minors.
He would also send nude photos of a woman to convince the alleged victim that his alias was real, according to charging records.
Authorities say the teen then showed the nude photos he received to other teens at the school he was attending, and send one photo of a minor to that person’s sibling.
If convicted of a second-degree felony, the teen faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in the Utah State Prison.