Mattera Newsmax Crime Report: Kids Face Growing Threat From Online Predators

A 29-year-old Rhode Island man is jailed in Florida, facing multiple felony charges after prosecutors said he sexually exploited a young girl he met through an online video game, prompting warnings from officials about the dangers such platforms can present, Newsmax crime correspondent Jason Mattera reported Thursday.

"Predators go where the kids are," Mattera said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "It used to be parks and playgrounds. Now, it's video games."

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a stern warning after the arrest.

"Parents, wake up," he said. "People at home are preying on your kids."

Mattera said investigators allege that Justin Adkins began communicating with and grooming a minor across state lines in 2024 using online gaming platforms, including Fortnite.

"Authorities say the communication later shifted to private messages. And that's where things escalated," he said.

"They moved to Snapchat because images and text communications can be erased rather quickly. It's a way to avoid law enforcement. This time it didn't work," Mattera said.

Adkins faces 15 felony charges, "including being in possession of material that depicts a sexual performance by a child," said Mattera.

He added that Florida officials allege Adkins convinced the minor they were in a romantic relationship despite knowing her age.

"Adkins allegedly used gifts as leverage, sending the victim Robux, the online gaming currency, and even mailing her a new phone so she could produce higher quality photos and videos," he said.

Mattera said investigators found a large volume of alleged illegal material tied to the Snapchat account.

"We've got thousands and thousands of files associated with this criminal deviant's Snapchat account," he said.

Mattera reported that prosecutors allege the suspect threatened to release explicit images when the victim tried to pull back.

Mattera also relayed warnings from experts that online sextortion tactics are evolving with the use of artificial intelligence.

"With AI tools, those images don't even have to be real to carry out sextortion schemes," he said.

Mattera quoted Greg Schiller, CEO of Child Rescue Coalition, who said offenders are increasingly using AI manipulation to extort minors.

"A lot of times if a child sends a photo, what's happening now is they are using generative AI to modify that photo into a child exploitation image and blackmail the child or extort them," Schiller said.

Schiller also warned parents to recognize the broader pattern.

"We are at epidemic proportions of children being victimized online by predators across any number of platforms, websites, and apps. It's everywhere. People from other states are getting to your kids online and taking advantage of them," he said.

Mattera said Uthmeier emphasized parents are the first line of defense.

"He said parents are the first line of defense," Mattera said, adding that while "law enforcement, of course, is tracking down and prosecuting these alleged sickos, but they are not inside the home monitoring devices."

Mattera said the responsibility for monitoring devices "falls on parents and grandparents," and noted the case comes as "at least one major online gaming platform is facing numerous lawsuits alleging that they have inadequate safeguards to protect minors from adult predators."

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