Austin Man Accused of Producing Child Porn and Soliciting Minors
St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against an Austin man accused of soliciting children to send him sexually explicit photos and videos.
Long List of Federal Charges
The Office of the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota says 28-year-old Shadow Hawk Mallan is charged with three counts of production of child pornography, one count of interstate communications with intent to extort, one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of committing felony offenses involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender.
Used Social Media to find the Victims Worldwide
Federal prosecutors allege that Mallan used multiple social media platforms, including Snapchat and Discord, along with email accounts, to communicate with minor victims around the world. He is accused of using the communications to convince his victims to send him sexually explicit material.
Recorded and Saved Live Video Chats
The charges also allege that he engaged in live video chats with minor victims and recorded and saved the sessions. According to state and federal court documents, Mallan would then threaten his victims if they refused to continue sending him sexually explicit material. The charges say the threats included physical violence and the distribution of the sexually explicit material to friends and family members.
A news release on the case says that, to date, investigators have uncovered evidence that Mallan solicited hundreds of minors online over several years. Thirteen identified victims are listed in the indictment.
Previous Sex Crime Conviction
The news release also states that Mallan was previously convicted of solicitation of a child to engage in sexual conduct in 2020 in Mower County. Minnesota court records show the conviction resulted in a 15-month prison sentence with credit for 109 days already served in jail.
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