An Orange County man was sentenced on Friday to 14 years in prison for exploiting at least a dozen girls online for his own sexual satisfaction, the Department of Justice announced.
James Styner, 20, of Garden Grove, pleaded guilty on March 28 to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of distribution of child pornography and three counts of receipt of child pornography.
The DOJ said that from the ages of 17 to 19, Styner targeted vulnerable girls between the ages of 12 and 17 in a pervasive online campaign to manipulate and exploit them for his own pleasure.
Styner admitted to participating in about 45 chats on Discord, an instant messaging and social platform with the slogan “Group chat that’s all fun & games.” In these conversations, the DOJ said Styner would demand self-produced sexually explicit material from the girls, most of whom were underage.
“His conduct included in-person sexual relationships with at least two minor girls,” the DOJ stated. “He also frequently sent explicit images of his own genitalia to his minor victims and distributed self-produced child pornography to others, including minors.”
In his plea agreement, Styner admitted to preying on at least 12 minors. He also admitted that he had engaged in similar conduct with other unidentified individuals, but the DOJ did not specify how many others he may have targeted.
“No man will be allowed to exploit, harm and victimize children under my watch,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “They will be hunted down, prosecuted and then face the full weight of justice. Whether you are behind a screen or behind closed doors—we will find you and convict you.”
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