Parent Nightmare: Suspect forces teen to send nudes on Snapchat

A 15-year-old girl was forced to send nude photos over Snapchat. Once she does, she is threatened to do whatever the suspect wants or he would leak the photos to her family.

Snapchat has 186 million daily active users and is among the leading apps used by teenagers.

“Social media is so prevalent,” said Jackie Stevens, CEO of Children’s Advocacy Center of Collier County. “It’s very easy then for an adult or older person to really take advantage of a younger person or child.”

According to a warrant, that is what Trent Mansberger, 19, did. Investigators said he pressured the girl to take a photo of herself and kept his identity anonymous.

That is why a mother, Kamola Tadjiva, said she has to think ahead of how she wants to raise her daughter. All in a world where social media is widespread.

“If you don’t know them, you can’t trust them,” Tadjiva said. “Just because the picture or the words look nice online, it doesn’t mean they’re friendly.”

Investigators said Mansberger threatened the girl, saying she did not follow his demands he would leak the pictures. Then, he coerced the victim to come over and inappropriately touch her.

Documents show the teenager cried and said no four to five times. Mansberger was arrested in Collier County. He is now behind bars.

Stevens said what this young girl had to go through is a big problem.

“It’s important for kids not to fall victim to someone demanding they send pictures and so forth,” Stevens said, “because you don’t know where they’re going to end up.”