INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - Buster Hernandez, a.k.a. Brian Kil, faces 14 new charges for sextorting hundreds of girls across the country, many of whom were underage at the time.
Investigators say Hernandez targeted his victims over a five year period from 2012 through August 3, 2017.
Of the hundreds of victims investigators have identified, six were identified by age and location in Tuesday's court filing. Five were from across Indiana who are now in their teens or early 20s. The final was from Michigan.
Hernandez allegedly went by the name "Brian Kil" or any of 14 other online aliases when he tried to obtain sexually explicit photographs from his young victims. If he didn't get them, he threatened violence against local schools and a shopping mall if he didn't get them. Plainfield High School canceled classes on December 17, 2015. Danville High School also closed due to the threats. The Shops at Perry Crossing in Plainfield also closed December 19, 2015.
Investigators say Hernandez took steps to hide his digital footprint, including using the Tor Network. It's an anonymity network that intentionally masks several features that would normally help investigators track someone's activity by running it through a circuit of relay servers.
Prosecutors originally charged Hernandez with 26 counts of various crimes. Tuesday's indictment raised that to 40, including:
- sexual exploitation of a child
- coercion and enticement
- production of child pornography
- distributing and receiving child pornography
- threats to use explosive devices
- extortion
- threats to kill, injure or kidnap
- tampering with a witness and destroying evidence
- retaliating against a witness or victim
If convicted, Hernandez could spend the rest of his life in prison.
