Minnesota man pleads guilty to child exploitation charge
A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty on a charge of producing and attempting to produce child pornography.
In 2024, Samuel Eric Snell of Inver Grove Heights was federally indicted for child exploitation, leading to a call for action from federal investigators. He pleaded guilty Friday, according to court records.
The Department of Justice previously said Snell was messaging with minors in channels, or chat rooms, with names like "Fun Time Kitty Klub" and "Pretty Kitty Hangout."
The DOJ said Snell solicited sexual images from those children, sometimes with the intent to groom them.
Authorities said he took minors to a hotel and paid them for sex at least twice.
Snell is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 13.
The Family Online Safety Institute advises talking to your kids early about being safe online. That includes asking for help and teaching them to be respectful by treating others right.
Parental controls are a useful tool also, ensuring what websites and apps can or cannot be accessed.
If you know of a child who may have been a victim of exploitation, call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or visit the website.
The original airdate of the above video is Dec. 15, 2024.