LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the exploitation of children whom he met on social media messaging apps and then coerced them to make and send him child sexual abuse material.
Todd Maxson, 55, began a conversation with a 14-year-old girl in Nevada via Telegram, an internet-based social media app that allows users to message each other privately, according to court documents.
Almost daily between September 25, 2023, and October 19, 2023, Maxson ordered, received, and paid for sexually explicit images and videos of the victim via Cash App. Additionally, Maxson sought out females expressing suicidal or depressive tendencies and encouraged the behavior by requesting sexual content depicting self-harm, cutting, and bleeding. He would send knives to the children to help them make the videos, according to court documents.
In October 2024, Maxson pleaded guilty to one count each of sexual exploitation of children, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. In addition to imprisonment, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Maxson must register as a sex offender and keep the registration current.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
If one is experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm or knows someone who is, contact the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 9-8-8.
