AUSTIN, Texas — A 21-year-old Austin man was sentenced to 292 months in federal prison — more than 24 years — for sexually exploiting numerous juvenile boys in a sextortion scheme run through fake social media profiles, federal prosecutors announced on November 5, 2026.
Read the Justice Department release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtx/pr/21-year-old-texas-man-sentenced-over-24-years-federal-prison-sexually-exploiting
The Fake Profile, The Victims, The Threats
According to court documents, Tre Von Lamount Harris, 21, used several social media platforms as well as Cash App to entice and extort minor male victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing and transmitting visual depictions, the release stated.
Harris began the scheme at the age of 16, the release stated, falsely posing as a teenage girl named "Michelle" on platforms including Facebook, X, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.
Victims produced the images themselves and sent them to Harris through their social media accounts, the release stated. Harris then threatened to post the images online or send them to the victims' family and friends unless they paid him, and he followed through on those threats.
The First Arrest, The Federal Case, The Sentence
The Travis County Sheriff's Office arrested Harris on May 31, 2022, on two counts of sexual assault and one count of publishing or threatening to publish invasive visual recordings related to the same scheme under the fictitious name "Karla," the release stated. A Travis County judge released him on a $5,000 cash bond, removed a GPS monitoring condition originally imposed, and allowed him to attend high school.
Beginning in December 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received several CyberTip reports from social media providers and private citizens regarding child sexual abuse material connected to one or more of Harris's online usernames, the release stated. The FBI learned of the complaints in May 2023 and conducted an extensive investigation that included interviews with multiple victims.
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Harris was arrested on federal charges on May 21, 2024, at his high school, the release stated.
The Prosecutors, The Investigators, The Warning
"Tre Von Harris will spend more than a decade of his young adult life behind bars because he hid behind a fake profile to humiliate and sexually exploit teenage boys for profit, continuing to do so even after he was caught the first time," said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. "American children are active all across social media and, as this case proves, they do not always know who is on the other end. As parents, we must be educated and stay involved with our children's online activities. This case was possible because parents did just that. Together, we can stop predators and protect our children."
"This sentence reflects the seriousness of the suffering and harm inflicted on these victims and ensures the defendant is held accountable," said FBI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Daniel Faith. "We hope this outcome provides a measure of closure to the victims and their families while sending a clear message that those who use the anonymity of the internet and sextortion schemes to exploit children will not be tolerated."
The FBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Devlin prosecuted it, the release stated.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Justice Department initiative launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, the release stated.
Anyone who suspects a child is being exploited online can report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline.
Sources
U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas, "21-Year-Old Texas Man Sentenced to Over 24 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Juvenile Boys," November 5, 2026: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtx/pr/21-year-old-texas-man-sentenced-over-24-years-federal-prison-sexually-exploiting
Transparency notes
Published: Nov 6, 2026. No major post-publication update has been logged.
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