Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Mitchell Velasco Burnett is facing 12 felony charges accusing him of sexually extorting children.
- The Riverton man allegedly coerced an 11-year-old boy in Wisconsin for explicit photos.
- Police reported finding over 100 images of child sex abuse material on Burnett's devices.
RIVERTON — A Riverton man who police say extorted a young boy in Wisconsin for pornographic pictures is now facing numerous felony charges.
Mitchell Velasco Burnett, 26, was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with aggravated sexual extortion and 10 counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, first-degree felonies; and enticing a minor, a second-degree felony.
The investigation began in December when authorities in Wisconsin contacted police in Utah about a man who was communicating with an 11-year-old boy on social media.
"The information received by law enforcement indicated that the adult user contacted the male child and requested nude photos. The child sent a shirtless picture, but refused to send fully nude photos. The adult user then told the child that if the child did not send nude photos, he would expose the child on the internet," according to charging documents.
The boy then sent multiple photos to the man, who police later identified as Burnett.
"Law enforcement investigated (Burnett's) social media accounts and learned that (he) had engaged in chats with multiple children via the internet asking for nude photos. (Burnett) received nude photos from several children over the internet," the charges allege.
In one case, investigators say Burnett offered a child a $50 gift card in exchange for explicit pictures.
On Tuesday, police served a search warrant on Burnett's Riverton home and seized multiple electronic devices. More than 100 images of child sex abuse material were found on Burnett's cellphone alone, according to the charges.
"A review of the chats between (Burnett) and the minor children indicate (he) was instructing the children on which poses to take and what to do in the videos they were sending," the charges say.
The most recent image sent to him by a child was on Tuesday before his arrest, police say. Prosecutors have requested Burnett be held without the possibility of posting bail pending trial.
