A Cobb County man has pleaded guilty to charges in what federal prosecutors say is perhaps the most egregious case of “sextortion” in the metro area.
Tremain Hutchinson, of Mableton, is to be sentenced Dec. 30 for using social media to gain the trust of teenage girls and then entice them into sending him nude pictures of themselves. Hutchinson sexually assaulted at least three young victims, prosecutors allege.
Hutchinson, 28, pleaded guilty Thursday to five of the 24 counts against him. Because it was not part of a plea agreement, federal prosecutors can still try him for the remaining charges.
Hutchinson befriended young girls on social media sites such as Tagged, pretending to be a teenager himself and calling himself “Quan,” “Money” or “Mario,” federal prosecutors said. Eventually, he exchanged texts with them on their cellphones and got them to transmit sexually explicit photos and videos, prosecutors said.
Many “sextortion” cases involve an adult posing as a teen who gains the trust of young victims and lures them to send nude photos of themselves from a cellphone or a computer. Hutchinson initially did this, but his case stands out because he travelled to meet his young victims and sexually assault them, prosecutors said.
His guilty plea included admitting that, from November 2011 to April 2012, he got a young girl to send him explicit photos of herself. During that same time period, Hutchinson met the victim and raped her, according to court records.
“This is a positive step in resolvong this case,” U.S. Attorney Sally Yates said Sunday. “We are continuing to work with the victims to ensure that the defendant receives a sentence commensurate with his horrific crimes.”
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