Preston Percyville Cresser, 22, engaged in ‘sextortion’ scheme, interacted with minors on social media

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ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando man was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for producing and possessing child sex abuse material, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced Friday.

Preston Percyville Cresser, 22, pleaded guilty on Dec. 7, 2022, and faces a lifetime of supervised release following his 40 years in prison, a release from the office shows.

According to the release, Cresser must also forfeit the electronic device used to produce said material and register as a sex offender.

Court documents show Cresser engaged in a “sextortion” scheme, during which he interacted with girls on various social media platforms and coerced them to create and send child sex abuse material. Cresser would demand additional images and videos, and if the victim did not want to comply, he would threaten to send previous pictures to their family or post pictures to social media, according to records.

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“This investigation demonstrates the FBI and its law enforcement partners’ vigilance in rescuing young victims of sextortion and ensuring justice for their abusers,” FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge David Walker said in a statement. “We’ve seen an alarming increase in sextortion schemes and encourage parents and caregivers to talk to their children about it. You can find information at www.fbi.gov/stopsextortion.”

The case was brought to the attention of investigators as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

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About the Author:

Samantha started at WKMG-TV in September 2020. Before joining the News 6 team, Samantha was a political reporter for The Villages Daily Sun and has had freelance work featured in the Evansville Courier-Press and The Community Paper. When not writing, she enjoys travelling and performing improv comedy.