Daniel Derringer III of Lake Worth, Florida, indicted on charges of extortion and manufacturing child pornography & using the Internet to blackmail five teenage girls

Man Indicted on Multiple Charges of Extortion and Manufacturing Child Pornography for Allegedly Blackmailing Underage Girls into Engaging in Sexual Conduct on Webcams and Recording Them

Story by Emily-Staff Writer.

Daniel Derringer III was indicted today on charges of extortion and manufacturing child pornography and for using the Internet to blackmail five teenage girls throughout the U.S into posing nude and engaging in sexual conduct on web cameras while he recorded them.

Daniel Derringer III, a 28 year old male from Lake Worth, Fla., previously of Union City, N.J., was indicted by a state grand jury on the following charges:

♣ Manufacturing Child Pornography (2nd degree)
♣ Extortion (2nd degree)
♣ Distribution of Child Pornography (2nd degree)
♣ Promoting Obscene Material to a Person Under 18 (3rd degree),
♣ Debauching the Morals of a Child (3rd degree)
♣ Possession of Child Pornography (4th degree).

The charges originate from an investigation by the New Jersey State Police Digital Technology Investigations Unit and the Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Computer Crimes Bureau. The victims ages ranged from 14 to 16 at the time of the alleged offenses. Under the statutes in effect at the time, a child was defined as under the age of 16 for purposes of the state’s child pornography law; now the law defines a child as under 18.

“Derringer allegedly is a serial sexual predator who used the anonymity of the Internet to exploit underage girls, deceiving and threatening his victims to force them to comply with his deviant demands,” said Attorney General Porrino. “He represents the darkest side of the Internet and every parent’s nightmare. Thanks to the courage of the victim who came forward and the excellent work of our investigators, we uncovered more of Derringer’s alleged crimes and have indicted him on serious criminal charges.”

“We’ve made child protection a top priority and will continue our aggressive efforts to investigate and prosecute Internet predators and child pornography offenders, in collaboration with the New Jersey State Police and other law enforcement partners,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “This case graphically illustrates the dangers of the Internet and the need for parents to be vigilant and keep the lines of communication open with their children.”

“Derringer allegedly manipulated, extorted and intimidated children across the country to satisfy his sickening impulses,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “Internet crimes know no boundaries or state lines, but thanks to cooperative, multi-jurisdictional investigations like this, online child predators have no place to hide.”

The investigation sprung when a 15-year-old girl in Minnesota reported to local police that she had been intimidated into engaging in sexual conduct on a webcam by a person who contacted her through an online social networking site, claiming to be another girl of the same age. Derringer transmitted a video of a minor touching herself in a sexual manner to make the victim believe she was seeing the girl who was chatting with her. Derringer supposedly persuaded the victim to take off her shirt and expose her breasts in front of her webcam. Derringer allegedly recorded the act. He would then proceed to revealing his identity and using this material to blackmail the victim. He told her that if she didn’t do as he said, he would post the video on the Internet. Derringer ordered the girl to strip, then demanded that she touch herself in a sexual manner. He also allegedly showed her sexually explicit videos of other young girls.

The State Police executed a search warrant on April 4, 2013 at Derringer’s residence in Union City and seized computer equipment. Derringer was arrested by the Union City Police three days later when he returned from a trip out of state.

The case was handed over to Superior Court Judge Timothy P. Lydon in Mercer County. Derringer will be ordered to appear in court at a later date for arraignment.

All persons are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of law.