A Facebook predator who posed as a modelling agent to persuade girls as young as 12 to send him nude photos has been sentenced to prison in British Columbia.
A judge in Vernon handed David Clayton Willerth, 40, a sentence of four years for luring charges, and another nine months for possessing child pornography, reported Global News. The consecutive sentences were cut to 168 days after credit for time served.
Willerth pleaded guilty this week to 18 charges — 16 of them for communicating via the Internet to lure a child under 16, one for possession of child pornography, and another for arranging a sexual offence against a child.
Seven other charges were stayed by the Crown, who had asked for seven years in prison while the defence had asked for three.
Crown prosecutor Shirley Meldrum called Willerth's use of a fake name on Facebook to get the attention of girls ages 12 to 16 "predatory and planned," reported Castanet.
Posing as a modelling agent for teens, Willerth offered girls contracts and between $3,000 to $5,000 if they sent him nude photos of themselves, Meldrum said in the Crown's submission to the B.C. Supreme Court.
She said Willerth even offered extra cash to one of the girls to find others, according to Castanet. The predator tried to meet the girls in person several times, but none of them showed up.
With files from The Canadian Press
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