Winona man sentenced to 27 years in prison for online sextortion scheme
MINNEAPOLIS — A 31-year-old Winona man will spend 27 years in prison for his role in an online sextortion scheme that targeted more than 60 girls, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
Valentin Silva Quintana was sentenced in federal court Wednesday after previously pleading guilty to one count each of production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
Between April 2022 and June 2023, Quintana used Snapchat and Instagram to threaten and sexually exploit more than 60 girls, between the ages of 9 and 12 years old, in the U.S. and other countries, court documents said.
Quintana knew most of the girls' ages and lied about his age and identity, often posing as a minor girl, according to the criminal complaint. He used images and videos of "youthful appearing girls" to make his communications seem more believable.
He convinced the girls to send him a sexual photo or video by offering to be their friend or romantic partner, court documents said. In some cases, Quintana covertly recorded them engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Quintana then threatened to send the content to the girls' friends and family unless they produced more images and videos for him, court documents said.
He will have 20 years of supervised release after his prison sentence.
