Former Middle School Paraprofessional Pleads Guilty to Child Sextortion Scheme

MINNEAPOLIS - A Coon Rapids man has pleaded guilty to a sextortion scheme that targeted minors through social media and an online gaming forum, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, Glen Robert Anderson, 24, previously worked as a middle school paraprofessional in special education. Anderson used multiple internet applications and social media accounts for email, file sharing, and chatting with minors, including Snapchat and Grindr. Anderson also owned and administered an online gaming forum. To participate in the forum, users were required to submit an application, which included the age of the user. As Anderson knew, many of the users were minors. Between April 1, 2016, through August 20, 2021, Anderson used his position as the forum administrator to groom minors to produce child pornography and engage in sexual activity with him, including by providing minors with in-game perks, privileges, and other gifts. For example, Anderson coerced a 13-year-old victim to engage in sexually explicit acts for the purpose of producing images and videos. Anderson later threatened to release those sexually explicit images if the victim did not respond to Anderson's demands.

Anderson pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz to two counts of production of child pornography, one count of enticement of a minor, and one count of interstate communications with intent to extort. Anderson was ordered to remain in detention pending his sentencing hearing on October 25, 2022.

This case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Click on the "resources" tab for information about Internet safety education.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Anoka County Sheriff's Office, the Erie County (Ohio) Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Waterloo Regional Police Service in Ontario, Canada.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Miranda E. Dugi is prosecuting the case.