OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. -- A 25-year-old Louisiana man is facing federal charges, after being accused of coercing several young girls to send him explicit images.
Federal investigators said that one of his victims is an 11-year-old girl from Ottawa County.
A 20-page federal indictment accuses Matthew Chaney Walker of using the social media app Kik to start conversations with young girls.
Authorities said that after receiving nude pictures from the girls, Walker would threaten to post the pictures to their friends' Facebook pages and threatened to get them expelled from their schools.
"Sadly it happens all the time," said child advocate Chris McKenna. "The Internet wasn't created with 11-year-olds in mind."
Back in May, McKenna created the website ProtectYoungEyes.com to help educate parents of the latest apps kids are using. He also warns of their vulnerabilities that can connect them with criminals.
McKenna said that it's estimated that about 30 percent of the Internet is pornographic.
"So, if I'm giving my son or daughter unfiltered access to the Internet, that's no different than when I was a kid, my dad putting 10 magazines on a table, three of them Playboy, and hoping I don't look at the wrong one," said McKenna.
In a recent case, court documents show Walker of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, lured several young girls from across the country to send him nude pictures on the app Kik by posing as another teen girl.
Federal investigators say that in March of 2015, an 11-year old girl from Ottawa County became one of his victims.
According to court documents, in the messages the young victim said "Hey, I sorta feel uncomfortable sending pics of my self."
"It wasn't her intent, but she played along long enough that it kind of pulled him in, and there was enough evidence that then was there that law enforcement could probably do a little bit more."
After sending the nude photos, Walker then messaged the girl that it was a trap, saying "You've been tricked. We have your nudes with your face and your school email and information." Walker then allegedly threatened to post the 11-year-old's nude photos on her friend's Facebook pages and send them to her school, threatening she'd be expelled. That is, unless she sent him more.
"Ur scaring me, I'm balling" messaged the girl.
"Show us that you're crying" messaged Walker.
Investigators said that the young girl then sent a picture of herself crying. Walker then kept making demands with specific sexually explicit poses.
Thankfully the young child told her parents about what was happening.
McKenna said that this is just another example of why conversations with your children about online activity should start when your kids are young, because a situation like this isn't uncommon.
"Does it happen all the time? I think it does," said McKenna. "I think that on certain apps like Kik these sorts of conversations happen more often than we probably would like to admit."
Walker allegedly messaged back and forth with a parent of one of his other child victims. In those messages, he still demanding the parent take pictures of their young child. That parent also contacted law enforcement.
Walker is facing 11 felony charges.
