A man from Sacramento, California, has received a 30-year sentence in federal prison for using social media to coerce multiple victims into child sexual abuse. Markus Hudson Jr., 28, was sentenced on Thursday in San Antonio after pleading guilty earlier this year to charges of producing child pornography and coercing a minor.
Federal prosecutors revealed that Hudson exploited platforms like TikTok and Snapchat to manipulate both adults and minors. He threatened to release explicit images or resort to violence if his demands were not met.
The investigation uncovered a disturbing pattern of behavior. In May 2023, Hudson pressured an adult woman in Uvalde into sexually assaulting a six-year-old child during a video call, using the threat of sharing nude photos with her family. He recorded the assault with a second phone and later distributed the footage to one of the woman’s former classmates when she refused further contact.
In June 2024, Hudson targeted a 14-year-old girl on Snapchat, threatening to shoot her home if she did not appear naked on a video call. After capturing the video, he coerced her into engaging in sexual acts with other minors and an adult, subsequently sharing the recorded images with her classmates.
Throughout his criminal activities, Hudson involved a total of four minors and two adults. His arrest took place on December 13, 2024.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons, emphasized the dangers posed by social media: “These platforms have become a perilous environment where child predators exploit the vulnerable. Individuals like this defendant should understand that the anonymity of the internet will not shield them from accountability.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, alongside the Uvalde Police Department and the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office, with support from the FBI office in Sacramento. The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sade Bogart as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation.
