NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Thomas Cervantes was sentenced on Friday to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to producing child sexual abuse material, a release states.
Cervantes, of Virginia Beach, used social media platforms to manipulate victims into sending sexually explicit content. Cervantes was found to have shared a video on social media of himself assaulting a minor. In another instance, he offered money to a minor to try and convince her to send a sexually explicit video of herself. When she was reluctant, he threatened to send the images of her to her family members if she refused. Cervantes enticed and coerced a number of additional minors.
He pleaded guilty to his charges on Nov. 29, 2023.
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