INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man was sentenced to 44 years in prison after sexually exploiting an 11-year-old on Snapchat.
Sonny Applegate, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of committing a felony offense while required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, Applegate was convicted for possession of child pornography in Marion County on Dec. 17, 2020 and sentenced to 4 years in prison with nearly the entire sentence suspended to probation.
The DOJ said Applegate was on probation because of that conviction. Despite being on probation, he reoffended.
Between Aug. 1 and Sept. 12, 2022, officials said Applegate used Snapchat to communicate with an 11-year-old child living in Missouri that he knew was underage.
The DOJ said Applegate engaged in "graphically explicit sexual chat" with the child through Snapchat. He also regularly "demanded" that they exchange images and videos of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct that he directed.
During a routine probation visit on Sept. 12, 2022, officials said Applegate's probation officer discovered that he had a Samsung Galaxy cell phone hidden under a pillow. Investigators found more than 600 images or videos of child sex abuse material involving other children that he had gotten from the Internet.
Applegate has to pay $10,000 in restitution. He is also required to register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school.
“Every family should know that social media apps like Snapchat are not safe spaces for young children and are often hunting grounds for predators who seek gratification from their exploitation,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
"This sentence reflects the profound harm the defendant caused the victim and should serve as a warning that those who exploit children will be held accountable,” said Herbert J. Stapleton, FBI Indianapolis special agent in charge. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue our unwavering commitment to ensure we protect vulnerable children from such heinous crimes.”
The FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office investigated this case with help from Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Marion County Probation and the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office.
