Latest news with #MarkDavidWallin
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
L.A. man who allegedly preyed on Saanich, B.C., girl sentenced to 40 years for child luring and pornography
Social Sharing A child luring investigation started by the Saanich Police Department in 2020 has led to a Los Angeles man being sentenced to 40 years in United States federal prison. In April of 2020, parents of a 12-year-old Saanich girl went to police after finding sexually explicit messages from an unknown individual on their daughter's phone and computer. Investigators determined the sender was somewhere in the U.S. and eventually the case was transferred to law enforcement officials with Homeland Security. In July 2022, Mark David Wallin, 44, was arrested after investigators determined he had preyed on dozens of boys and girls between the ages of nine and 16, both in the U.S. and internationally. Saanich police said Wallin groomed his victims to provide him with explicit photos and videos. Last September, Wallin pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and the enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. Saanich police say the U.S. charges do not include Wallin's alleged interactions with the Saanich girl. Los Angeles Homeland Security Investigations acting special agent John Pasciucco praised the Saanich Police Department in a statement saying collaboration helps "accomplish our mission of safeguarding kids and bringing those who prey on them to justice." Saanich Det. Const. John Gadsby said the case is a reminder to parents to "be aware of what social media platforms [your children] are on who they are interacting with."
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
LA man used Snapchat to get explicit videos from kids; gets 40 years
The Brief Mark David Wallin, 44, from Los Angeles, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. Wallin was convicted of using social media apps like Snapchat to solicit sexual pictures and videos from children. Wallin also allegedly screen-recorded video calls with children as young as 9 years old. LOS ANGELES - A West Los Angeles man will spend the next 40 years in federal prison, after he was convicted of using social media apps like Snapchat to convince young children to send him sexually explicit videos of themselves. What we know Mark David Wallin, 44, of Del Rey, was sentenced to 480 months in prison on Friday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Wallin pleaded guilty last year to one count of production of child porn and one count of enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. From 2019 to 2021, Wallin used the internet and social media apps like Snapchat to meet young children, both across the U.S. and abroad. After he developed relationships with the kids, he convinced them to send him explicit pictures and videos of themselves, the Justice Department said. SUGGESTED: OC man guilty of federal child sexual exploitation crimes: DOJ In one case, officials said Wallin convinced a child as young as 9 to send him sexual pictures and videos. In some instances, Wallin also convinced the children to do sexually explicit things on video chats, which he recorded without their knowing, federal officials said. Once he got what he wanted, officials said, he'd threaten to distribute the images if the children didn't send him more. In his plea agreement, Wallin admitted to doing this to at least five children between 9 and 16. What they're saying Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong sentenced Wallin on Friday. During the hearing, Frimpong called Wallin's actions "cruel and relentless," and said that the pictures and videos he solicited from the children were of "highly sexualized sadomasochistic conduct that no child should know of, let alone be exposed to." What's next Wallin has a restitution hearing scheduled for Aug. 13. The Source Information in this story is from a Department of Justice press release issued on May 16, 2025.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
L.A. man sentenced to 40 years in prison for convincing kids to create sexually explicit content
A Los Angeles man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for using social media to meet and entice children into producing sexually explicit content. From 2019 to August 2021, Mark David Wallin, 44, of Del Rey, used the internet and apps like Snapchat to meet pre-teen children in the U.S. and abroad, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He would develop romantic relationships with them and eventually persuade them to engage in sexually explicit conduct through video chat, which he screen-captured and saved, prosecutors said. After his victims sent the explicit content, Wallin would sometimes demand additional explicit images and videos from them. If the children did not cooperate, he would threaten to publish or expose the pictures and videos they had previously sent him. In one instance, Wallin convinced a child who was around 9-10 years old to send sexually explicit images and videos of himself through Snapchat, prosecutors said. In his plea agreement, Wallin admitted to coercing at least four additional victims – ranging in age from 12 to 16 years old – to produce child pornography. He also admitted to possessing around 200 files containing child sexual abuse material. Wallin has been in federal custody since July 2022. In September 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. On May 16, he was sentenced to 480 months (40 years) in federal prison. The judge who presided over the hearing said Wallin committed 'cruel and relentless' crimes against children and that his conduct was 'highly sexualized sadomasochistic conduct that no child should know of, let alone be exposed to.' A restitution hearing is scheduled for August 13. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
