JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A St. Johns County man was sentenced to 105 years in prison for his involvement in what prosecutors say was one of the largest "sextortion" cases in the United States.
According to the Department of Justice, Lucas Chansler, 31, transmitted threatening communications to hundreds of girls over the Internet from 2007 until January 2010.
A media release states that Chansler often enticed female victims to expose themselves on webcams by showing a male engaging in a sexual act. If a victim did expose herself, he recorded it and then later sent it to his victim over the Internet.
Chansler is said to have targeted 350 child victims in 26 different states throughout the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom. So far, only 106 victims have been positively identified. In total, he had approximately 80,000 images and videos in his possession.
Officials say Chansler pleaded guilty to nine counts of producing child pornography back in August.
"Child predators, such as Chansler, are using increasingly devious techniques to lure and exploit innocent children," said U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III. "Our Office will continue to work with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute these cases."
Chansler will serve his sentence in federal prison.
