A Lowell, Massachusetts, man was sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Boston for extorting a minor to send him sexually explicit photos via Snapchat, the US Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts said.
Chayanne Nieves, 25, who pleaded guilty in June 2022 to one count of receiving child pornography, was sentenced to 210 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release, a written communication detailed.
According to the prosecution, during a period of four days -in November and December 2020-, Nieves communicated via Snapchat with an 11-year-old boy in Vermont. During those communications, Nieves reportedly obtained nude photographs of the victim and then extorted her into engaging in graphic video chats with him, threatening to publish the photos of her if she did not comply, prosecutors said.
After the victim’s mother intervened and made a report to local police, a search of Nieves’ Lowell residence was conducted, and the defendant allegedly accepted that the Snapchat account used to communicate with the child was his.
The Prosecutor’s Office noted that Nieves is a Level 3 registered sex offender, based on a 2018 Middlesex Superior Court conviction for indecent assault and assault on a child under 14, for which he was on probation when he committed the crime. crime charged in the federal indictment.
“Nieves is a danger to our communities. While already on probation for indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14, he targeted and exploited an innocent child for his own sexual gratification. This significant sentence ensures that Nieves is removed from our communities and may not cause further harm in the foreseeable future,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “The safety of the public, especially our children, is of the utmost importance to this office. We will continue to do everything we can to hold predators like Mr. Nieves accountable and protect our communities from dangers both online and offline.”
