An FBI map plots the locations of Lucas Chansler's known sextortion victims. Image courtesy FBI
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 8 (UPI) -- The FBI launched an international campaign to track down hundreds of "sextortion" victims after a Florida man pleaded not guilty to blackmailing teen girls into sending him graphic images and videos of themselves.
So far, the FBI has identified 109 out of some 350 girls, between the ages of 13 and 18, who exposed themselves to Lucas Michael Chansler of Florida for several years through June 2010. Investigators said there are hundreds of others in as many as 26 states, Canada and England.
Chansler, 31, told investigators he created online personas as a teen boy, claimed to be a friend, acquaintance or admirer and convinced the girl to expose herself via webcam or camera phone. He would then come back to the girl and threaten to post the images online if she didn't send him further graphic images.
Chansler was sentenced to 105 years in federal prison in August after pleading guilty to nine counts of producing child pornography. The FBI said he had some 80,000 images on his computer.
"These girls thought they were having a video chat session with a 15-year-old boy that they would never see or hear from again," said FBI Special Agent Larry Meyer. "so they are all exposing themselves, not realizing that he is doing a screen capture and then he's coming back later—very often in a different persona—saying, 'Hey I've got these pictures of you, and if you don't want these sent to all your Myspace friends or posted on the Internet, you are going to do all of these naked poses for me'. "
Ashley Reynolds, now 20, said she was a victim of Chansler's in 2008 when she was 14. She said she was contacted by someone claiming to be a boy with explicit pictures of her. He told her he would send the photos to all of her Myspace friends if she didn't send him topless images. After she did, she thought it was over, until he contacted her again in 2009 asking for more images. Her mother discovered them.
Reynolds came forward with the hopes more of Chansler's victims will be identified and receive help.
"I just remember breaking down and crying, trying to get my dad not to call the police," said Reynolds, "because I knew that I would end up in jail or something because I complied and I sent him the pictures even though I didn't want to."
The FBI asked anyone with information about the case to call 800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or email [email protected].
