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Surprise, Arizona resident Elliott Velez, 38, pleaded guilty to the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) over the course of several months, when he targeted victims on social media who were under the age of 18 and proceeded to exploit them.
According to court documents, between the summer of 2021 through March 2022, Velez used social media platforms to engage in sexually graphic conversations with his underage victims.
During those conversations with underage girls, Velez would instruct them to engage in sexually explicit conduct, take photos or videos, and send them to him, prosecutors said. He would then give explicit instructions on what he wanted them to do and who he wanted them to do it with, including other underage victims.
Velez, an active servicemember located in Newport News at the time of the child porn production would also then use a recording device on his phone to ensure that he could keep these videos and images without the victim’s knowledge.
When he is sentenced on March 22, 2023, Velez will face a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years in prison, per count.
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