Staunton man, 19, headed to prison after trying to extort Texas girl
STAUNTON — A 19-year-old Staunton man who convinced a young girl from Texas to send him nude photographs, and then tried extorting her in an effort to get her to send more, was sentenced to three years in prison last week after pleading guilty to three felony charges.
Charles McCauley III was initially facing 23 felony charges following his arrest in April, but in a plea agreement with the Staunton Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, the charges were whittled down to possession of child pornography, attempted extortion, and child solicitation.
In Staunton Circuit Court on Aug. 31, Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Joseph Perry said near the end of 2022 that the Staunton Police Department, with help from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), got a tip concerning a sexualized online conversation involving a young girl in Texas who was being coerced. The victim was under the age of 14, Perry said.
An investigation led to McCauley, who Perry said convinced the girl to send topless photos. After the photos were sent, he demanded she show more, threatening to leak her previous photos if she didn't comply, Perry said. The victim, who told McCauley her age, even tried to send him a random screenshot she found on the internet in an effort to appease him. Perry said McCauley, who claimed he was 15 when communicating with the girl, threatened to reveal the previous photos "to all of her followers" if she didn't send him more.
McCauley didn't follow through on the threat, but Staunton police caught up to him in April. He initially told them he couldn't remember the girl or her age, and said he deleted the conversation and photos from his cell phone, Perry said.
Law enforcement in Texas also spoke with the victim, who said she met McCauley online through a random friend request. The girl said she eventually blocked him after sending the photos.
During a second police interview, Perry said McCauley acknowledged the conversation with the girl was inappropriate "considering her age." Police charged him in April, and he has been held at Middle River Regional jail since his arrest.
McCauley was sentenced to 17 years in prison with 14 years suspended, giving him three years to serve. He was also placed on five years of supervised probation once he is released from prison and will be listed as a sex offender.
Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton man headed to prison after trying to extort Texas girl
