On probation for stalking a Florida teen, he extorted nude photos from a Filipino teen

Some of the photos Loxahatchee resident Andrew Melendez-Gonzalez exchanged with a 15-year-old girl in the Philippines that led to a 20-year sentence in federal prison:

▪ Photos of the girl nude and masturbating. Some were sent from the girl at Melendez-Gonzalez’s request on the threat that he would kill himself. Some were sent from the girl at his demand, under threat that he would spread the earlier nude photos around the Internet.

▪ A photo displaying Melendez-Gonzalez’s genitalia.

▪ A series of photos showing Melendez-Gonzalez using blood from his arm to spell out “I’m sorry” when the girl’s mother asked him to stop blackmailing her.

That’s child pornography production, child pornography possession, transferring obscene material to a minor and stalking, the charges to which the 21-year-old Melendez-Gonzalez pleaded guilty in Fort Lauderdale federal court. He was sentenced Feb. 7.

All this happened during the 2018 summer or just under two years after Melendez-Gonzalez’s last swim around the criminal justice system, although in the shallower waters of the state system.

On Dec. 15, 2016, Melendez-Gonzalez started his five-year probation after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated stalking and one count of written threats to injure and one count of distributing obscene material involving a minor.

Online court documents say his probation required, among other things, a mental health examination, a psychosexual health examination, a 12-hour anger management class and that he get his GED. He was required to complete any treatment recommended after the examinations, but there is no indication whether or not he did.

The Florida Case

The arrest report in the Florida case reads like what entertainment folks would call a “prequel” to Melendez-Gonzalez’s federal case. He met an Orlando-area 14-year-old girl online in November 2014 through the Kik messaging application, an app that shows up regularly in child porn cases as a connector between collectors. They maintained contact using Kik and Facebook Instant Messenger and met in person at the girls’ grandparents’ house in March 2015.

Their sexual relationship began with their second meeting, she told police, in November 2015. Melendez-Gonzalez told Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigators his parents drove him the 2 1/2 hours upstate six to eight times to meet the girl and knew the two were having sex.

During those encounters, Melendez-Gonzalez took pictures and video of the girl that qualified as child pornography. When the girl’s parents found out about their relationship and ended it, Melendez-Gonzalez launched into an online tantrum.

He posted some of the pictures and videos to Instagram. He threatened to post more unless the girl’s parents allowed her to see him again. He sent “sexually explicit” video and threats to one of the girl’s parents via Instagram and threatened to kill them in an Instagram post that also included the mother’s address.

The report said he threatened at various times to rape the girl, kill her family, friends or himself.

One of the Instagram messages he sent the girl from account “spencerdavy12” demanded the girl ask her mother if they could be together again because “I’m tired of waiting and texting...I suggest you ask her you dumb fat b---- before I get a man to kill you stupid fat ----. I really don’t want to have to send nudes to the whole family but okay you give me no choice since you don’t answer.”

Melendez-Gonzalez told investigators he never planned to follow through on the threats.

The Federal Case

In the summer 2018 sequel, a now-20-year-old Melendez-Gonzalez met the 15-year-old Filipino girl on the social media platform Antiland.

According to Melendez-Gonzalez’s admission of facts, she told Homeland Security investigators they were “in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.” He told Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigators they were “dating.”

“Minor Victim 1 explained that during their relationship, Melendez-Gonzalez requested nude photos and videos of her,” the admission of facts states. “She gave in to his demands, as she was concerned about his suicidal tendencies and thought that perhaps she could make him change his mind about taking his own life.”

This went on from June 2018 until her mother cut off their virtual relationship in August 2018. An arrest report says Melendez-Gonzalez reacted as his record said he would.

He sent a photo of an arm with several cuts, promising to cut deeper each day. He warned, “If you don’t reply soon, you’re going viral. Posting all you online,” suggesting he’d post the videos to pornographic sites, YouTube and send the links to her classmates.

The girl’s U.S.-based aunt reported Melendez to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as a cyberstalker. He soon found himself at his probation officer’s office talking with PBCSO detectives again.

“I didn’t mean anything by it,” Melendez-Gonzalez said.

On his iPhone 7, detectives found videos of the girl and the direction from Melendez-Gonzalez of how to customize them for his enjoyment. These included usage of a bottle or marker.

He had a St. Petersburg police department Medal of Valor. And a child porn collection.