Brian Caputo, 25, from Arvin, California, will remain behind bars pending trial for alleged underage extortion charges involving nude photographs according to recent court documents obtained by Breitbart Texas. Caputo had been scheduled to be released on bond to his mother’s custody by a federal judge last week. However, by the end of the week, a different federal judge reversed the ruling.
Caputo was scheduled to be released from jail by a federal judge based on conditions on March 5 according to court filings obtained by Breitbart Texas. He was arrested after allegedly using social media like Facebook to meet young girls. Once befriending the girls, between the ages of 8 and 13, Caputo persuaded the girls into sending nude photos according to sworn testimony. “Once he got a single naked photo or video from them, he’d use it to demand more from those girls and their friends,” according to the criminal complaint.
The alleged behavior continued until Caputo allegedly attempted to extort a 12-year-old girl from Texas. According to filings, the girl’s 11-year-old friend had given Caputo pictures and he threatened to post them publicly if the 12-year-old did not also give him photos. The girl told her parents about the alleged scheme and it was reported to officials.
Original conditions for Caputo’s release included in-home incarceration in his mother’s home, and that Caputo would not be allowed access to the Internet.
A different Federal Judge, Lawrence O’Neil determined Caputo to be a danger to the community and a flight risk according to sentencing directives obtained by Breitbart Texas. O’Neil then revoked Judge Oberto’s release order.
In court documents obtained by Breitbart Texas, details of the defendant’s alleged crimes against these young girls were revealed. “By his own admission,” the document detailed, “the defendant has been extorting sexually explicit images of girls all over the United States since he was age 16, and he did this while he lived with his mother in the Los Angeles area and in Kern County. The defendant was able to sexually exploit girls ages 8-15 for several years without his mother’s knowledge or intervention.”
In declaring Caputo to be a threat to the community, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa said in the government’s memorandum asking for the revocation, “the defendant terrorized a minor female in San Antonio, Texas. She is now fifteen years of age, but she was only approximately thirteen years old and in seventh or eighth grade when the defendant contacted her while purporting to be a 12 year-old female. The defendant sent to the minor female in San Antonio several images of a different minor female being sexually exploited.”
Gappa continued, “He quickly told the victim that she needed to produce and then send to him sexually explicit images of herself. The defendant then began a series of threats that continued until shortly before his arrest by FBI agents. At times the defendant threatened that, “If you don’t send the images, I am going to hurt your family.” He then provided accurate e-mail addresses for the victim’s parents and true names of the victim’s friends. He threatened to send sexually explicit images of the victim to these people, her school, and to post them on Facebook unless she produced and sent more images to him. The victim was scared and submitted to the threats.”
“The defendant demanded that she produce sexually explicit images of herself, “Gappa continued, “and send them to him on an almost daily basis throughout 2013. The defendant often required that the victim produce one hundred sexually explicit images of herself as well as produce sexually explicit videos. The victim has stated that, even though she felt shame and embarrassment, she produced more than one thousand images of herself at the defendant’s behest.”
The document becomes more graphic about the nature of the defendant’s requests.
The memorandum also explains that Caputo’s mother could not guarantee that Caputo would not attempt to flee the jurisdiction of the court.
Caputo faces several counts of serious federal crimes that could land him in federal prison for several decades and then under federal supervision for the rest of his life. These factors also weighed in the judge’s consideration according to the memorandum.
According to filings, Caputo’s next hearing would be May 19th.
Caputo Complaint by BreitbartTexas
Caputo Order for Detention by BreitbartTexas
Follow Bob Price on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX
Image courtesy of KBAK/KBFX artist’s rendering.