NEWARK, NJ—A Mercer County, New Jersey, man was arrested today and charged with coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and with receiving images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Curtis E. Thompson, 30, of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of the production of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography. He is scheduled to appear later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court.

According to the complaint:

In April 2015, Thompson used a Facebook account in the name of Frank Lucas to become “friends” with the victim, a minor. On June 11, 2015, the victim told Thompson that the victim was under the age of 18. Thompson used the Facebook account to solicit and persuade the victim to record videos of the victim and others engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and to send those videos to Thompson. Thompson also coerced the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct and allow Thompson to watch in real time through a video streaming service. Thompson requested additional videos of the victim and others engaged in sexually explicit conduct in exchange for payments from Thompson wired via MoneyGram to the victim and others. Thompson sent the payments on various dates in June 2015.

The charge of production of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of receiving child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Svetlana M. Eisenberg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.

Anyone with information which may be relevant to this investigation is encouraged to contact the FBI online at: NK-VICTIM-ASSISTANCE@ic.fbi.gov

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.