NEVADA
A federal jury convicted a Nevada man Tuesday for sexually exploiting multiple minors and advertising and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that he coerced these minors into producing, officials stated.According to evidence presented at trial, between 2018 and 2021, James Patrick Burns, 55, of Sparks, sexually exploited multiple minors online via Omegle, Snapchat, Tiktok, and Mega.NZ.
Burns, a registered sex offender, threatened these minors into producing CSAM and then posted the CSAM on dark web forums.
Burns was the most prolific creator of illegal content on these forums at the time. He victimized over 100 children, many of whom have yet to be identified.
Burns’ offenses came to the attention of law enforcement when the mother of one of his victims saw threats on the victim’s phone and reported what she saw to the police.The jury convicted Burns of eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, eight counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count each of advertising, receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography.
In a separate trial, the jury also convicted Burns of committing specified felony offenses (from the first trial) while required to register as a sex offender.
Burns is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10.
He faces up to life in prison.The FBI-led Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is comprised of detectives and investigators from the Sparks Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, and HSI, investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andolyn R. Johnson for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.