JBLM soldier accused of coercing teens to send him naked pics
Sep 11, 2012, 5:20 AM | Updated: 2:59 pm
A JBLM soldier just back from Afghanistan accused of sexual exploitation of a minor and possessing child pornography has pleaded not guilty.
“The case came to light as a result of a concerned parent monitoring her daughter’s online activities,” says Lieutenant Ron Mead, with the Washington State Patrol.
Detectives with the Washington State Patrol say 24-year-old David Michael Ford used Facebook to meet teenage girls and then used money, gifts and fear tactics to force them to send him pornographic photos and videos of themselves.
“When much of this was occurring, the soldier was deployed overseas,” says Mead.
Ford allegedly coerced several 15-to-17-year-old girls to send him suggestive photos and video of themselves. He then threatened to post them online if they didn’t keep sending him nude images.
Mead says they found dozens of images and video of girls on Ford’s computer. He hopes they will be able to identify more victims.
“We have evidence that we’ve downloaded from the suspect’s computer that suggests that there are other victims out there that we have not identified yet,” says Mead. “We would ask if anybody believes they are victims of this suspect, or frankly any other suspect, that they come forward.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
