COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Westerville man has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that include sexual exploitation of a minor and extortion.
Christian N. Davidson, 27, of Westerville, pleaded guilty on Thursday, October 22, in U.S. District Court in Columbus to two counts of transmitting interstate communications with intent to extort, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and one count of possession of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
Federal prosecutors say that in 2024 and 2025, Davidson targeted minors on TikTok and Snapchat, coerced them into sending explicit images, and then threatened to expose the images and to harm the victims and their family members. Prosecutors say he posted some images online and created accounts in a victim’s name, and that an earlier victim was harassed in 2018 and 2019.
The case was investigated by the FBI from tips sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, along with the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children task force. A sentencing date has not been announced.
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