A California man has been sentenced in Washington, D.C. to 14 years in prison for sexually exploiting at least a dozen girls nationwide, officials announced Friday.
James Styner, 20, of Garden Grove, California, pleaded guilty to coercing and enticing a minor, distributing child pornography, and multiple counts of receiving child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell handed down the sentence, which also includes seven years of supervised release.
According to officials, Styner admitted to manipulating girls as young as 12 through online chat platforms, coercing them to send sexually explicit photos and videos. His offenses involved at least 12 identified victims between the ages of 12 and 17, with additional unlawful conduct involving unidentified minors.
He began contacting victims at age 17 and continued until his arrest at 19, conducting more than 45 explicit chats on Discord and engaging in sexual activity with at least two minors in person. Styner also distributed sexually explicit images of himself and self-produced child pornography to other minors.
Prosecutors emphasized their commitment to protecting children, stating that offenders will be found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.