WGNO

California man accused of grooming 80 children in 24 states to create porn

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) — A California man allegedly groomed at least 80 children and had them create child pornography, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said. 

The sheriff’s office said the man posed as a girl named Lizzy online and contacted children, typically between the ages of 6 and 13. The Internet Crimes Against Children task force said they received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about the online account. 

The sheriff’s office identified the suspect as 24-year-old Demetrius Carl Davis.

In December, the sheriff’s office said they executed a search warrant at Davis’ home. They allegedly found “numerous” recordings on his devices of children engaging in sexual acts. 

According to the sheriff’s office, he created several social media accounts to befriend children, and they believe he would talk to them using “sexually explicit language.” He would also allegedly send child pornography to them and try to establish a relationship. 

Authorities said he would then direct the children to make pornographic videos.

Investigators have identified some of the victims’ accounts, which the sheriff’s office said span 24 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin.

It is also believed there are at least 15 victims in other countries. 

The sheriff’s office has identified at least 80 victims but believes the suspect may have contacted over 100 victims between late 2020 and December 2021.

They ask anyone with information to call the sheriff’s office at 916-874-3002. They can also be emailed at ICAC@sacsheriff.com