Man accused of extorting kids in child porn case
Authorities have charged a Conroe man with using deception and threats to obtain potentially hundreds of sexually explicit images of children worldwide.
Chadrick Lashun McNeal, 23, was arrested March 13 and charged with four counts of possession and promotion of child pornography and one count of sexual performance by a child.
The Texas Department of Public Safety began investigating McNeal in the fall for allegedly extorting images from girls. Investigators found that children from around the world were being victimized.
To carry out his extortion, authorities said, McNeal was using multiple social media chat platforms. His usernames on Snapchat were “pboi58,” “jayyboyy56” and “koolkids6,” according to a news release from the Montgomery County district attorney’s office.
McNeal would act as if he had images and threaten to release them on social media if the children did not send him more, Assistant District Attorney Tyler Dunman said.
“We believe there are probably hundreds of child victims across the country and even worldwide,” Dunman said in a statement.
DPS, the Montgomery County Internet Crimes Against Children team and the Conroe Police Department worked to identify and locate McNeal, according to the release. He is in Montgomery County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.
Any potential victims or anyone with information about McNeal is asked to contact their local law enforcement agency and/or the Montgomery County team at 936-760-6910.