Feds: Sterling Heights man pretends to be teen girl to get sexually explicit photos from boys
(CBS DETROIT) - A Sterling Heights man is sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexual exploitation of minors, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Thursday.
Federal officials say Thomas Neil, 42, admitted to pretending to be a teenage female on Instagram in July 2020 and tricked a 13-year-old boy into sending sexually explicit photos. An investigation revealed that Neil used the same method on about 16 boys as early as 2010.
Officials say under federal sentencing guidelines, Neil qualifies as a "repeat and dangerous sex offender based on his content."
"This investigation and subsequent prosecution ended this defendant's repeated sexual exploitation of children. This significant sentence demonstrates that those that seek to harm our children through online exploitation will be held responsible. We will continue to work to make the Internet a safer place for our children," U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in a statement.
