DENVER (KDVR) — A 31-year-old man from Colorado pleaded guilty this month in Indiana to dozens of counts related to sextortion of at least 68 children through social media and sex trafficking of at least five of those children.
Ryan Austin Lauless, 31, of Colorado, pleaded guilty on Sept. 4 to 21 counts of sexual exploitation of a child, five counts of sex trafficking of a minor, two counts of noticing and advertising child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
Prosecutors say that Lauless used social media apps between late 2019 and May 19, 2023, to coerce, sexually exploit and threaten at least 68 minor victims into producing thousands of sexually explicit images and videos. The prosecution said victims of Lauless ranged from 13 to 16 at the time of the offenses, living in nearly every state of the U.S. and in at least five foreign countries.
“Today’s guilty plea is a stark reminder of the dangers our children face online. This defendant exploited the trust and vulnerability of children through social media, committing acts of unimaginable cruelty, said Boone County Prosecutor, Kent Eastwood, on behalf of the C.A.S.E. Task Force, in a release. “We will continue to pursue these cases relentlessly, and we remain committed to supporting survivors and holding predators fully accountable.”
Lauless was found on applications including Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, Yubo, Purp and others, and reportedly misrepresented his identity to minors on those apps. Lauless allegedly went by “Cason Fredrickson,” who he purported to be a teenager from New York or other cities.
Police say that in actuality, “Fredrickson” was in his late 20s, unemployed and living in various hotels and motels in Colorado and Texas. To hide his identity, Lauless accessed a public Instagram account, saved their images and videos, and used them to pose as “Fredrickson.” Authorities say he also used voice modulators and video applications to edit images and videos to make them appear as if they were taken through social media applications, like Snapchat.
Victims were threatened with revenge porn, trafficked
According to law enforcement, Lauless would threaten to spread images or videos of his minor victims if they did not comply with his demands or if they intended to seek help from family or law enforcement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said that Lauless would also feign interest in his victims, telling them they were attractive and pretending to be in an online romantic relationship. He also reportedly purchased items for the victims that he instructed them to wear when producing sexually explicit images and videos.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said that Lauless trafficked at least five minor victims by forcing them to engage physically with adult males and producing videos of commercial sex acts. The prosecutors also said some victims were forced into sadomasochistic abuse at his direction.
Lauless would take the pictures and videos from his victims and advertise them for sale online, and prosecutors say he engaged in at least 141 transactions where he sold child sex abuse material for payment sent through electronic payment sites. He admitted his collection included images and videos of prepubescent children, among other crimes.
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