California Man Allegedly Exploits Children Online
A man from California is accused of exploiting numerous children through social media and various online platforms, pressuring them into creating sexually explicit videos for him.
Adrian Gutierrez, 22, who lives in Ontario, California, allegedly posed as a peer by pretending to be the same age as his young victims in their conversations, as stated in a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas.
According to the release, “While Mr. Gutierrez mostly targeted children between the ages of ten and twelve, his victims were as young as nine years old.”
He purportedly coerced these children into producing “visual depictions of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct” during live video calls.
Prosecutors revealed that Gutierrez sent these communications between May 2023 and October 2024.
So far, twenty-one victims have been identified, spanning across 18 states, but some remain unaccounted for, with others living outside the United States.
Gutierrez has pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual exploitation involving a child from Kansas.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Ryan Kriegshauser emphasized the importance of internet safety, stating, “The lessons of ‘stranger danger’ also apply to the internet.” He encouraged parents to discuss online safety with their children, reminding them that people may not always be who they claim to be.
Sentencing for Gutierrez is set for January 2027.
Special Agent Kiffa Shirley from the FBI’s Billings Resident Agency remarked that children online can easily fall prey to predators. “Young people don’t seem to have an on-guard mentality when it comes to strangers contacting them through the internet,” he noted, adding that many teenagers feel less restrained about sharing personal information online.
Justin Simmons, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, echoed these sentiments in a separate case, urging parents to stay engaged and aware of their children’s online activities, rather than dismissing their interactions as merely playing games or chatting with friends.
The FBI continues to investigate the allegations against Gutierrez.
