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Nathaniel Sean DeLeon, 20, of Tulare, California, was sentenced to 78 months in prison on Tuesday, May 20, for distributing child pornography and making a hoax bomb threat, according to Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus.
DeLeon met the 16-year-old victim through the Roblox gaming platform in 2023 and began an online relationship. After the relationship ended, DeLeon began retaliating against the minor, prosecutors said.
Between June and November 2023, DeLeon made 23 “swatting” calls to police in Cumberland County, falsely claiming someone had been killed or was about to be killed at homes connected to the victim.
On Nov. 30, 2023, DeLeon posed as the teen in a message to a suicide prevention worker, claiming pipe bombs had been planted at Big Spring High School and that the minor was outside the school with a shotgun. The false claim led to the evacuation of 650 students and staff, officials said. No explosives were found.
Also in November 2023, DeLeon shared sexually explicit videos of the victim on two occasions, federal prosecutors said.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a DOJ initiative targeting child exploitation.
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