Former Marion County Correctional Officer Sentenced to Twenty Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Children he met and Groomed Over Discord and Snapchat

INDIANAPOLIS- Cory Terry, 26, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material.

According to court documents, between April 9 and 26, 2022, the defendant met an 11-year-old girl online and communicated with her using Discord, a communications platform popular with adults and children interested in gaming. During their online communications, Terry told the child that he “didn’t mind” that she was only eleven. He engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the child and directed her to send him videos of herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Terry also purchased items for the girl and sent her explicit anime images of older men engaging in sex acts with young girls. Individuals with a sexual interest in children engage in these behaviors, often referred to as “grooming,” to build trusting relationships with potential victims and lower their defenses to sexual exploitation by adults. The victim repeatedly told Terry she did not want to send him sexually explicit material, but Terry, threatened and coerced her into complying with his demands, on one occasion, telling the eleven-year-old “you don’t get to say no.” Terry continued these demands despite the child telling him that her parents were nearby, and she wanted to go to sleep.

Investigators also identified a second victim, a fifteen-year-old girl online and communicated with her using Snapchat, a social media application. Between March 19, 2022, and July 29, 2022, Terry engaged in sexually explicit conversations with this second child. During those conversations, Terry referred to the child as “little one” and requested that she produce sexually explicit images and videos of herself for him. Terry told this child “From now on you will show me all of your little body whenever I need it…” Terry used threats, coercion, and enticement to obtain numerous images and videos depicting the child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

During a search of Terry’s Indianapolis residence, FBI agents recovered multiple cell phones containing at least five sexually explicit videos of one of the victims and over 600 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as three years of age, including children being subjected to sadomasochistic conduct. At the time of his arrest, Terry was employed as a Corrections Officer in Marion County, Indiana.

“Pedophiles know that the applications and devices our children use every day give them access to groom and sexually exploit victims anywhere in the world,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. Zachary A. Myers. “The criminals who seek to exploit our children are at fault and must be held accountable, especially when they hold positions of public trust-but there are steps parents and other caring adults can take to help keep kids safe online. The serious sentence imposed here demonstrates the commitment of our office and the FBI make our children safer from exploitation and abuse.”

The FBI investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew P. Brookman. Judge Brookman also ordered that Terry be supervised for life following his release from federal prison and register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school. Terry was also ordered to pay $20,0000 in restitution to the victims.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case.

This case was 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 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.

###