Sparks, Nevada- A man has been sentenced to 65 years in prison following his conviction in a scheme involving “sextortion” on various social platforms such as Omegle, Snapchat, TikTok, and Mega. The crimes were committed between 2018 and 2021.
James Patrick Burns, 55, has been accused of engaging in online exploitation of minors, as stated in a news release by the U.S. Department of Justice. Authorities apprehended Burns, who was already a registered sex offender.
According to a news release, Burns was identified as the most active producer of unauthorized content on these forums during that time. Over 100 children fell victim to his crimes, with many still awaiting identification. Law enforcement became aware of Burns’s crimes after the mother of one of his victims discovered threats on the victim’s phone and promptly alerted the police.
If Burns is released from prison, he will be required to serve lifetime supervised release.
A federal jury convicted him on March 5 of multiple charges related to sexual exploitation of a minor, coercion and enticement of a minor, and possession and distribution of child pornography.
Minors were forced into producing pornography. In addition, he was directed to provide $82,655.92 in restitution and $21,000 in assessments as mandated by the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.
The announcement was made by a group of officials, including Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada, Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Miller of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Las Vegas.
An investigation into the case was conducted by the FBI-led Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, consisting of detectives and investigators from various law enforcement agencies including the Sparks Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, and HSI. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, HSI Chicago Field Office, and local law enforcement across the nation offered significant support.