KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A California man pleaded guilty to targeting child victims and persuading and coercing them into creating visual depictions of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct using online social media and messaging apps, according to the United State's Attorney.
According to court documents, Adrian Gutierrez, 22, of Ontario, California, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor involving a child residing in Kansas.
From approximately May 2023 through October 2024, Gutierrez communicated with dozens of minors using multiple online platforms. He used persuasion and coercion to get 21 identified victims from Kansas and 17 other states to engage in sexually explicit conduct while transmitting live video calls with him. Gutierrez often misrepresented his true identity and age by telling the victims he was also a minor of a similar age to the victim. Despite law enforcement efforts, many other victims were unable to be fully identified. Some victims reside outside of the United States.
Gutierrez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 5, 2027. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.