BURKE COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia man faces decades in prison after admitting he coerced a child to produce sexually explicit images, according to the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Keyshawn Omar Cooper, 20, of Waynesboro, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and awaits sentencing, David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, said in a statement.
According to Estes, Cooper could face up to 30 years in prison and have to pay “substantial” financial penalties, followed by supervised release. He will also have to register as a sex offender.
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“Keyshawn Cooper’s crime represents the nightmare scenario for parents whose children connect over the internet with predatory strangers,” Estes said. “Thanks to the vigilance of one of those parents and diligent law enforcement partners, Cooper will be held accountable for his reprehensible activities.”
Estes said court documents revealed Cooper admitted that around May 9, 2021, he met and communicated with a child in Missouri while playing an online video game and then persuaded the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct on camera that the victim then sent to Cooper.
Officials said the child’s mother discovered the activity and reported it to police in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Police asked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s help in identifying and locating Cooper.
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“The FBI has unfortunately seen an increasing amount of sextortion crimes across the country over the past year, and we want this plea to send a message that we make crimes targeting children a top priority,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Let this be a reminder to parents and caregivers, people can pretend to be anyone online, and you need to remain vigilant with monitoring your child’s online activity and educating them about the risks of communicating with strangers.”
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678 or https://report.cybertip.org/.
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