FBI seeks victims in teen sextortion scheme

A Florida man has been sentenced to more than 100 years behind bar for masterminding a sextortion scheme that targeted hundreds of teen girls across the United States, including victims in South Jersey, New York City, and Massachusetts.

Now, the FBI is asking the public’s help identifying additional victims of convicted online predator Lucas Michael Chansler, 31, of St. Johns, Florida.

Federal investigators said Chansler earned himself a 105 year stay in federal prison for engaging in an extortion plot to produce kiddie porn. Court testimony indicates that he targeted about 350 minors in 26 states.

Documents show that from 2007 to Jan. 8, 2010, Chansler threatened hundreds of teenage girls with the intent of extorting the photos and webcam videos of sexualy exploitative martieral. He would engage the girls online, pretending to be a friend, acquaintance or an admirer of the victims, investigators said. Their ages ranged from 13 to 18. Chansler told authorities that he targeted minors because adults were “too smart” to fall for his act.

After gaining the victim’s trust, he would convince them to expose themselves and secretly recorded the video session, the FBI said. Chansler often enticed his victims to expose themselves by showing a streaming video of a minor male exposing himself or engaging in sexually explicit behavior. If a victim did expose herself, he recorded it, and then demanded additional and more graphic images or webcam videos. He would tell the victim that if she did not comply, he would distribute the images and videos online, or send them to her family and friends.

So far, authorities have identified 109 victims, but they need help finding the rest. Investigators have a list of 135 screen names from Myspace, Stickham, and AIM.

Using information received from the parents of one victim and working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), agents were able to identify Chansler and locate his home. A federal search warrant was executed at the residence on Jan. 8, 2010.

Forensic analysis of Chansler’s computer media revealed hundreds of folders labeled with the name of each victim. These folders, some labeled “DONE” or “PROSPECTS,” contained personal information specific to the victims, as well as related chat logs and videos or digital photos. Many of the chat logs contained the threats Chansler had made to the victims. In several of the videos, the victims are seen crying and pleading with Chansler. In total, he had approximately 80,000 images and videos in his possession.

One of his victims spoke out on the FBI’s website, hoping to prevent anyone else from falling into the same trap she did.

Ashley Reynolds, 14 at the time, fell for Chansler’s scheme and sent him a lewd photograph. He then demanded she send him more or he would distribute the original photo. The next few months were a nightmare as Ashley complied with Chansler’s demands.

“I just remember breaking down and crying, trying to get my dad not to call the police,” Reynolds said in a statement released on the FBI’s website Tuesday. “Because I knew that I would end up in jail or something because I complied and I sent him the pictures even though I didn’t want to. I tried to think rationally, like this guy was threatening me. But I sent him the pictures, so that’s breaking the law, isn’t it? I am under age and I am sending him naked pictures of me. I didn’t want to go to jail.”

Reynolds kept thinking if she sent more pictures, the monster at the other end of the computer would finally leave her alone. But it only got worse—until the day her mother discovered the images on her computer.

Authorities are looking to get in contact with anyone who might have been victim of Chansler’s crime.