Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com.

Help support the publication of case reports on MoreLaw

Date: 10-03-2019

Case Style:

United States of America v. Joseph Isaiah Woodson, Jr.

Case Number: 0:18-cr-60256-JEM

Judge: Jose E. Martinez

Court: United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida (Miami-Dade County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Jodi L. Anton and Francis Viamontes

Defendant's Attorney:


Call 888-354-4529 if you need help finding a criminal lawyer in Miami, Florida for extortion sexual exploitation of children case.


Description:




Miami, FL - Man Convicted at Trial in Miami of Orchestrating Snapchat Sextortion Ring that Targeted Children

A federal jury in Miami, Florida convicted Joseph Isaiah Woodson, Jr., 30, of Ashburn, Virginia, of using the internet to target and extort children through sexual exploitation (“sextortion”) and pornographic offenses.

Woodson, Jr. was convicted at trial on three counts of Production of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a) and 2251(e), one count of Distribution of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2), one count of Sending Extortionate Threats, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(d), and one count of Conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 (Case No. 18cr60256). Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 2, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez. The defendant faces a statutory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 117 years in prison.

According to the evidence presented at trial, beginning in October 2017 through September 2018, Woodson. Jr. persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced numerous minor female children across the country to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct using the camera on their cellular telephones. Woodson, Jr. infiltrated the Snapchat accounts of these children by pretending to be one of their friends on social media. Once given the passwords, Woodson, Jr. took over the victims’ Snapchat accounts and demanded the children send him sexually explicit videos and images of themselves using the web based texting application “KIK” in order to get back and regain control of their accounts. Woodson, Jr. conspired with others to systematically extort and exploit children using the internet.

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of FBI Miami’s Child Exploitation Task Force, in partnership with the Davie Police Department and Plantation Police Department. Coral Springs Police Department, Fairfax City Police Department, FBI Dallas, FBI Indianapolis, FBI Operation Rescue Me, FBI Technical Analysis Unit, Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command all assisted with the investigation.

Outcome: Defendant was found guilty.


CLERK'S Notice Directing Counsel to Retrieve Exhibit(s) sent to Defendant Re D.E. 128 Exhibit and Witness List,,,, as to Joseph Isaiah Woodson, Jr. Attorney(s)/Party(s) Defendant shall retrieve original exhibits within five days. For retrieval information, please contact the Clerks Office - Records Section of the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr., U.S. Courthouse, 400 North Miami Avenue, Miami, FL 33128, (305) 523-5210. (rrs) (Entered: 10/03/2019)

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments:



Find a Lawyer

Subject:
City:
State:
 

Find a Case

Subject:
County:
State: