A Virginia Beach man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for sextortion of two minors and soliciting an adult, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Justin Whichard, 24, spoke online with the two minor victims and developed a sexual relationship with them. He threatened to reveal their identities to their families unless they produced child sexual assault evidence for him, according to court documents.
Whichard then used the minors’ photographs to extort an adult. He pretended to be the minor and threatened to divulge the adult’s name and engagement unless he sent money to him.
On July 26, 2023, law authorities searched Whichard’s home while investigating him for ordering a machine gun conversion device online. He was discovered to have 131 photographs and 15 films of child sexual assault material involving infants and toddlers. Whichard’s phone also had 106 photographs of child exploitation and a script that particularly ordered the creation of child sexual abuse material.
Whichard escaped for several months across multiple states while on bond for state charges. In March 2024, law enforcement caught Whichard in Tennessee.
He pleaded guilty on November 5, 2024.
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