California man sexually exploited children online across at least 18 states
KANSAS CITY, KAN. / Thursday, October 8, 2026 – A California man pleaded guilty to targeting child victims and persuading and coercing them into creating visual depictions of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct using online social media and messaging apps.
According to court documents, Adrian Gutierrez, 22, of Ontario, California, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor involving a child residing in Kansas.
From approximately May 2023 through October 2024, Gutierrez communicated with dozens of minors using multiple online platforms. He used persuasion and coercion to get 21 identified victims from Kansas and 17 other states to engage in sexually explicit conduct while transmitting live video calls with him. Gutierrez often misrepresented his true identity and age by telling the victims he was also a minor of a similar age to the victim. Despite law enforcement efforts, many other victims were unable to be fully identified. Some victims reside outside of the United States.
Gutierrez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 5, 2027. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“The lessons of ‘stranger danger’ also apply to the internet. While Mr. Gutierrez mostly targeted children between the ages of ten and twelve, his victims were as young as nine years old,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “We encourage parents to talk to their children about internet safety and explain to them that not everyone is who they say they are or the age they claim, particularly online.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey McCormick is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visithttps://www.justice.gov/psc.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Kansas
