BOSTON (WWLP) – On Wednesday, a Boston man pleaded guilty to coercing a minor to send him child sexual abuse material on TikTok.
Hector Acevedo, 33, of Jamaica Plain, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography. It has been determined that Acevedo is a Level 3 sex offender.
Prior to this, Acevedo was convicted of multiple child and sexual exploitation offenses in Suffolk County Superior Court, including trafficking a person for sexual servitude, extortion by threat of injury, posing or exhibiting a child in a state of nudity or sexual conduct, disseminating matter harmful to minors, disseminating child pornography, and acquiring or possessing child pornography. According to the Department of Justice, Acevedo was sentenced on Feb. 13, 2018, to five to seven years in prison and three years of probation.
While on probation, Acevedo solicited a minor through TikTok and coerced the victim into engaging in sexual activity over video chat. When an individual has previously been convicted of a child pornography offense, receiving child pornography by that individual may result in a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 40 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, as well as a fine of up to $250,000. An individual’s sentence in a criminal case is determined by a federal district court judge in accordance with the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable statutes.
The announcement was made Wednesday by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox. The Arlington and Revere Police Departments provided valuable assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. A joint effort between U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood aims to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue those who have been exploited.
Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled Acevedo’s sentencing for January 24, 2024.
Kayleigh Thomas is a digital reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since 2022. Follow Kayleigh on X @kayleighcthomas and view her bio to see more of her work.
