Missouri high school teacher sentenced to 30 years for sextortion scheme targeting children

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Missouri high school teacher was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for compelling children online to send him sexually explicit images and videos in a sextortion scheme involving 11 identified victims and dozens more who could not be identified. The mother, whose daughter would later come to be known as Jane Doe 1 in court records, told local authorities that her daughter was using Kik – an instant messaging app where users can communicate without revealing their actual names or phone numbers – and became engaged in a blackmailing scheme where a user later identified as McCullough asked her to send sexually explicit images to him. Brandon McCullough, 31, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for blackmailing dozens of children over the internet With Jane Doe 1, McCullough posed as a 15-year-old boy under the username “brianmagee8809”. Such appalling criminal behavior warrants the severe penalty he received today.” After the New Jersey mother of Jane Doe 1 reached out to local authorities and they followed up by contacting federal investigators in Missouri, a search warrant was executed on the high school teacher’s residence on 7 May 2020.