Man who used Snapchat to convince teens to make child porn, perform sex acts is sentenced

By WLOS Staff

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — An Asheville man is sentenced to 28 years in prison for using Snapchat to solicit teenage girls to produce child pornography and perform sex acts with him in exchange for money.

The United States Department of Justice says Coyoami Ruiz Miguel, 26, was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to child pornography charges earlier this year.

Court documents and proceedings reveal that from July 2019 to April 2020, Miguel used Snapchat and other messaging apps to contact at least 15 minor females in the Asheville area for the purpose of persuading the minors to produce sexually explicit images and engage in sex acts with him in exchange for money.

A news release from the U.S. Department of Justice says forensic analysis of Miguel’s devices revealed that he possessed dozens of videos and images of teenage girls engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the videos also depicted Miguel engaging in sex acts with the minors.

Miguel reportedly admitted in court to using the mobile payment service Cash App to pay the underage victims.

U.S. Attorney Dena J. King commended the Asheville Police Department for their investigation of the case and thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office for their invaluable assistance.

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