More than 100 children victimized by California man who targeted children as young as 6 online
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Authorities on Tuesday announced that a Northern California man was arrested for allegedly posing as a young, pre-pubescent girl on social media and convincing dozens of children to make and send to him sexually explicit photos and videos. At the alleged suspect’s suggestion, many of the videos involved the victims’ siblings, friends and other children known to them, according to officials.
More than 80 children spread across the United States, along with at least 15 more children located around the world have been identified so far in the ongoing investigations, but officials have said they believe there could be many more victims who have not yet been identified.
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In a video released to social media by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, sheriff’s spokesperson Rodney Grassmann said that in 2020 and 2021, 24-year-old, Demetrius Carl Davis, of Sacramento, posed online as a pre-pubescent girl named “Lizzy” and used multiple fake social media accounts to contact children.
Members of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force are seen processing evidence seized during the service of a December search warrant, which was served at the Sacramento County home of Demetrius Davis. Davis was arrested yesterday as a result of a months-long, international investigation. Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office photo
Although the ages of the victims varied, most have been identified as being as young as 6 years old and as old as 13 years old, according to Grassmann.
After befriending the children, he allegedly then began to lure and groom them; first sending them child pornography and then asking them to make and send to him their own sexually explicit photos and videos.
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“After establishing a relationship with the child, Davis would direct them to produce child pornography, depicting themselves engaging in sexual acts with their siblings and other children known to them,” Grassman explained, adding that a search conducted at Davis’s Sacramento County home last December turned up sexually explicit digital recordings featuring children whom he had contacted online.
Grassman went on to say that during a thorough and exhaustive investigation, which included assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other international agencies, officials identified more than 80 alleged victims spread throughout the United States.
At least 15 or more other children have been identified internationally, with victims located throughout India, China, Central and South America, Guam, Ireland and the United Kingdom, for a total of more than 100 victims identified so far, said Grassman.
Officials say more than 80 children from throughout the nation have been identified as part of an ongoing child pornography investigation that uncovered at least 15 or more children internationally. Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office photos
As a result of the investigation, Davis was booked into the Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of committing a lewd or lascivious act with a child under 14 and he remains in custody, where he is being held without bail. He will likely face many additional charges, according to Grassmann.
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The Sacramento Sheriff’s Office has asked that parents check their children’s social media accounts for any contact with a person identifying themselves as “Lizzy” and to contact them if they believe their child or children may have been victimized by Davis or anyone else. They can be reached at (916) 874-5115. Callers can refer to incident file number 22FE006743 and can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 51, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and operates Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS). Both are stringer organizations, providing breaking news coverage and community interest stories for other mainstream media organizations throughout the two regions they serve.
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.