Man Admits To Blackmailing NH Teens With Nude Photos

CONCORD, NH — A California man pleaded guilty to blackmailing a group of New Hampshire teenage girls with nude photos, U.S. Attorney Scott Murray announced Tuesday. Michael Gutierrez, 34, of Pomona, pleaded guilty to five counts of producing child pornography.

"Gutierrez contacted minor females in New Hampshire through social media and initiated conversations with them," Murray said in a statement. "Gutierrez represented himself to be a 14-year-old female and used the usernames of 'Chloe_is_Awesum,' 'spamaccount.c' and 'Doogteg.'"

Murray said Gutierrez then persuaded the girls to send him nude photos.

"Gutierrez then demanded additional sexually explicit images from the minor females and threatened to distribute the images already provided if the minor females did not comply," Murray added.

Gutierrez ran the scheme in 2015 and 2016 and was arrested after a mother of one of the victims contacted authorities, according to Murray.

“This case shows how predators can use the anonymity of the internet to manipulate young victims," Murray said in a statement. "We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who engage in such disturbing conduct."

FBI agent Harold Shaw added, "Gutierrez’s offenses are heinous and the impact on his victims is immeasurable. He not only abused and exploited vulnerable children, he re-victimized them over and over again because the horrific images stay in circulation forever."

The investigation involved police in Milford, Goffstown, New Boston, Mont Vernon and Manchester, among other law enforcement agencies.

Gutierrez will be sentenced in September.

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