Whitman Man Charged With Sexually Exploiting Children; May Have Contacted Nearly 400 On Snapchat

WHITMAN (CBS) – Prosecutors say a Whitman man sexually exploited children by posing as a teenage girl on Snapchat.

Federal agents arrested Matthew Murphy, 22, on Tuesday and charged him with two counts of sexual exploitation of children. A criminal complaint states that Murphy communicated on a fake account with about 386 Snapchat users, most of whom appear to be Massachusetts residents between 12 and 17 years old, in 2018.

It's alleged that Murphy usually portrayed himself as a teenage girl between the age of 13 and 17 and claimed that he was from Hingham. The complaint say he would demand naked pictures of minors and threaten to expose them if they didn't comply.

"Don't ignore me," one message Murphy allegedly sent states. He then threatens to send a 14-year-old boy's photos to his "whole school."

Federal agents executed a search warrant at Murphy's home and said they found forensic evidence that the Snapchat account belonged to him.

Murphy admitted in an interview with federal agents that he met one of the boys he was messaging through a local Boy Scouts event, according to the criminal complaint.

Each sexual exploitation of children charge carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Authorities are still trying to identify additional victims. Anyone with questions or information can call 617-748-3274.