Northern Virginia man pleads guilty in Snapchat underage sex case

A Woodbridge man who used Snapchat during the COVID pandemic shutdown to coerce pre-teen and teen girls into sex and producing sexually explicit conduct pleaded guilty in federal court today.

According to court documents, Malachi Morgan Thomas, 24, used a hacked Snapchat account to coerce at least 40 minor girls between the ages of 12 and 17 to engage in sexually explicit conduct.

Thomas, per the investigation, told victims that he led a criminal organization, and that as long as the victims did what he told them they would be safe. To coerce compliance, Thomas made such threats as hacking the victims’ accounts or harming them and their family members.

Thomas was aware that several of his victims suffered from anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues and that many had previously been victims of sexual abuse.

In at least one instance, Thomas knew that the victim was in foster care.

On June 6, 2020, Thomas flew to another state and travelled to a victim’s home where he engaged in sex with the victim, which he recorded and saved in his Snapchat account.

Police discovered the abuse of this victim after searching one of Thomas’ cell phones, which they seized from him while investigating an altercation.

On July 9, 2020, Thomas traveled to Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge to meet a victim he exploited on Snapchat. The victim’s father had learned of Thomas’ actions and appeared at the mall instead of the victim.

Thomas’ phone was seized when police responded to the incident.

On Oct. 1, 2020, Fairfax County Police arrested Thomas on charges of rape and sodomy of two minors in Fairfax County. With support from Prince William County Police, Fairfax County Police searched Thomas’ residence in Woodbridge, where investigators located a second phone containing dozens of images and videos of child sexual abuse, including recordings of his sexual assaults of his two victims in Fairfax County.

Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 24 and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 40 years in prison.