'Ima be in a suspicious van': Man met teen online, then sexually exploited her, FBI says
WEST PALM BEACH — Texts from a South Florida man to the teenager he's accused of sexually exploiting paint a troubling portrait of the moment investigators say online predation veered into real-life abuse.
FBI agents arrested 25-year-old Malik Hosea Atkinson last week after he confessed to soliciting sex and explicit videos from girls he met on the internet. One, a West Palm Beach teen, told investigators Atkinson had sex with her in a white van before school and while her parents were at work during the summer.
"Wanna try making this a weekly thing?" Atkinson asked her before one such occasion, his texts memorialized in court records. "And food wise what do you want. Cus I am nice. I’m not just gonna rape you without like feeding you. That’s horrible lol."
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The girl told investigators she met Atkinson on the social-media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in 2022. She said she initially felt uncomfortable when he suggested meeting face-to-face, but Atkinson continued to push the idea anyway.
Their conversation moved from X to Discord, an online application that grew in popularity with children and teens during the COVID-19 pandemic as a place to text, call and video-chat. There, discussions about favorite video games morphed into musings over how the two could meet in person without arousing suspicion.
The teen's bus stop wasn't an option, they agreed. It was too close to a nearby police station. The parking lot of a small church in West Palm Beach, where the girl said people often meet, wouldn't raise any eyebrows.
"I'll be there by the time you arrive," Atkinson told her. "Ima be in a suspicious van lol."
FBI: Palm Beach County teen was not the only victim
Federal investigators said Atkinson drove to Palm Beach County from Opa-locka in Miami-Dade County on numerous occasions to have sex with the girl, who he believed was only 13, in his white Chevy van and film their encounter.
Under Florida law, the age of consent is 18. Those who are 16 and 17 can legally consent only to a partner younger than 24.
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According to an FBI affidavit, Atkinson also persuaded the teen to sell sexually explicit photos and videos of herself to other strangers online. To keep her parents from finding out, he had her direct the proceeds to his CashApp and PayPal accounts.
Investigators found multiple conversations with other minor children on Atkinson's Discord account. He appeared to solicit in-person meetings and sexually graphic images and videos from them, too.
Relationships began online, then moved in person
Federal agents interviewed Atkinson on Oct. 31. He told detectives he met girls as young as 13 on “nsfw” — an acronym which stands for "not suitable for work" — chats on X and Discord and would gift them DoorDash orders and Roblox gift cards. Atkinson said he identified as a "minor attracted person."
“At the end of the day, I knew it was wrong,” he told investigators. “Morally wise, it was just wrong.”
Atkinson could spend life in prison if convicted of enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. He faces an additional 15 to 30 years in prison for one count of producing child pornography.
Atkinson made his first appearance in federal court on Nov. 1 and is scheduled to appear again on Thursday to determine the terms of his pre-trial detention.
Magistrate Judge Ryon McCabe assigned him a public defender at last week's hearing. As a policy, the federal Public Defender's Office does not comment on open cases.
Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism and subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FBI: South Florida man sexually exploited Palm Beach County teen girl
