A Virginia man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually exploiting dozens of underage girls through Snapchat and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, 24-year-old Malachi Morgan Thomas used a previously hacked Snapchat account to target 41 girls between the ages of 12 and 17. He coerced the victims into engaging in sexually explicit conduct, with some forced to create CSAM during live video calls.
Thomas allegedly used threats and intimidation to control his victims. He claimed to be the leader of a criminal organization and told the girls they could face consequences if they refused to follow his instructions. He also threatened to hack their Snapchat accounts or harm them and their family members.
In June 2020, Thomas traveled to the home of one victim, where he sexually assaulted her and recorded the attack on his phone. The recording was later saved to his Snapchat account. A month later, he traveled to a Virginia shopping mall to meet another victim he had targeted through Snapchat. Instead, the girl’s father and police officers were waiting for him.
Thomas was arrested in October 2020 by the Fairfax County Police Department and charged with rape and sodomy involving two minors. During a search of his residence in Woodbridge, investigators found a phone containing dozens of sexually explicit photos and videos, including recordings of the assaults involving the two victims.
On April 2, 2026, Thomas pleaded guilty to producing and possessing CSAM. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia subsequently sentenced him to 40 years in federal prison for exploiting 41 minor girls.
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The Justice Department said Thomas used hacked accounts, threats of physical harm, psychological manipulation, and physical violence to exploit his victims. FBI officials said the agency would continue investigating people who target minors both online and offline.
