A San Diego man who was indicted in May for a series of incidents involving the sexual exploitation of a 14-year-old girl pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court.
Eric Jin, 30, admitted persuading the teen to send him sexually explicit selfies, one image of which was of her leg where she had carved his name at Jin's bidding, according to prosecutors.
In his plea agreement with prosecutors, Jin admitted coaxing the girl to send him nude photos of herself in December 2020 and again three months later, in February. It was also during that month that he "ordered her to carve his first name into her skin and send him a photo," according to prosecutors. Jin also sent the girl pictures of other children involved in sexual acts, officials said.
“This defendant repeatedly victimized, exploited and literally scarred a child,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “This horrific crime serves as a reminder to keep a very close eye on who kids are talking to online.”
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Jin is due back in court on Jan. 24. He will be sentenced to a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a fine of $500,000, with a jail term possibly reaching as long as 30 years, the maximum sentence allowed by law.
