East Texas Man Arrested for Child Exploitation on Snapchat

(KNUE-FM) An East Texas man was arrested recently after allegedly exploiting children on social media for inappropriate images and sharing child porn online. According to CBS 19, the arrest documents show that he was using the social media platform Snapchat to take advantage of children attempting to get these photos and videos. He would then threaten to share the images online.

The man arrested was 21-year-old East Texan Samuel Leal Vega, he was booked into the Smith County Jail on a $1 million bond for possession of child pornography with intent to promote.

Police Say Vega Pretended to Be a Teen Girl

The arrest report stated that Vega would use Snapchat pretending to be a teenage girl, which would make it easier for him to obtain the inappropriate photos and videos. After he received the images or videos from the victims, he would then threaten them to comply with whatever he wanted.

How Authorities Tracked the Snapchat Account

Authorities say that the account Vega was using was flagged by law enforcement, and information was sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The investigation found more inappropriate content involving children and adults.

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Investigators Link Snapchat Account to Texas Man

The investigation showed that Vega had been attempting to purchase child porn with conversations going all the way back to 2022. Authorities were able to link the account to Vega through a phone number shared during conversations online. His Texas driver's license photo matched selfies that he sent through Snapchat.

While no one wants to hear about these types of activities taking place, we want to thank law enforcement for taking action and putting an end to this in East Texas.