Atwater man pleads guilty to sexual exploitation of children through social media platforms

An Atwater, California man accused of sexual exploitation of children on social media platforms has pleaded guilty to the charges on February 25. Nikko Adolfo Perez, 26, plead guilty sexual exploitation of children, coercion, enticement of a minor, and receipt and distribution of child pornography at U.S. District Court in Fresno. 

According to evidence, Perez, using the Instagram screen name captainamerica272018, victimized two boys, ages 8 and 10, in Utah by coercing them to create and send him images of them engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Perez offered to pay the boys with Google Play credits if they engaged in requested sexual acts or poses, and when one of the victims said he would call 911, Perez threatened to disseminate the sexually explicit images of the victims and threatened to harm family members of the victims.

Perez admitted in a plea agreement that he also used Skype, Kik, Discord, Snapchat, and LiveMe to communicate with between 50 and 100 minors for the purpose of soliciting sexually explicit images of those minors.  In addition, Perez admitted that he persuaded the victims to pose nude or engage in sexually explicit activities, sometimes with other minors and that frequently paid victims to engage in this conduct, and he sent some of the material that he had requested to other people.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 20. Perez faces up to 30 years in prison.