Man blackmailed teens for child porn, forced them to pose with animals

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - A Florida man has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to the sextortion of multiple young girls, including one victim in the Upstate.

The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation after a teenager told her parents about the crime. Officials said 23-year-old Peterson Jean-Baptiste, who was on probation, targeted girls on Snapchat during the scheme.

Jean-Baptiste established relationships with the victims and requested nude photographs. When victims sent photos, he threatened to post them on the internet if the victims didn’t send more images.

Investigators said he would tell the victims how to pose and forced some of them to include animals.

The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office learned the crimes involved multiple states and requested the assistance of the Department of Homeland Security.

Investigators said Jean-Baptiste regularly used FaceTime video to chat with young girls. He usually only showed part of his face, but on one occasion he mistakenly showed his entire face which helped identify him.

Authorities arrested him in Palm Bay and seized his phone. Two of the victims uncovered in the investigation, girls who are 14 and 15 years old, are both from South Carolina.

They found pictures of other young girls on his phone, but they have not yet identified the victims.

“Sextortion has been on the rise in recent years and presents an extreme danger to our children,” said United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “We are grateful to the young victim and parents that first reported this crime to law enforcement. We will continue to dedicate resources to identifying victims of this predatory conduct and ensuring that offenders face serious consequences for sextortion.”

Jean-Baptiste pleaded guilty to two counts of receiving child pornography and was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. According to court documents, the maximum penalty for the charges was 20 years in prison.

Once released, he will be placed on lifetime supervision.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said agents are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of sextortion cases across the country. Victims of sexploitation should report it by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting an online tip.

Young victims of sextortion are often afraid to come forward but investigators wanted to remind them: You are not the one who is breaking the law.

RESOURCE: Sextortion - What Kids and Caregivers Need to Know

Copyright 2023 WHNS. All rights reserved.