18-Year-Old Faces Possible 70 Years in Federal Prison for Snapchat Sexting Crime
When Beyer was 17, he made a fake account on Snapchat and started contacting girls about his same age. He was in high school at the time. The FBI became aware of his activity in June of 2021, probably because one of the girl’s parents found out what he was doing and brought her phone to the authorities. But the FBI waited until September, a month after Beyer turned 18, to act.
Then, at about 4:30 a.m., a SWAT team raided the house where Beyer lived with his dad and brother, and handcuffed all three, according to his mother, who is divorced and lives in Pennsylvania. Then they put Beyer in the cruiser for questioning. He was read his Miranda rights and responded, “I understand.”
When questioned, Beyer said that yes, the Snapchat account was his, and no, he wasn’t sharing it with anyone. He asked if his father could be there with him, but the agents said he was old enough to be alone. Then they told him, “We need your password.” Unaware that he could refuse, Beyer gave it to them, whereupon they opened his account and put him under arrest, according to his mother.
Beyer’s federal charges—two counts of knowingly producing and transporting child pornography and one of possessing it—carry far lengthier sentences. Each production charge is punishable by not less than 15 nor more than 30 years. The possession charge is 10 years.
These sentences could be served concurrently, but Melone says her son’s public defender has warned Beyer that they could also be “stacked”; in other words, he might have to serve them one after another. In that case, if convicted of all three charges, he would be facing a minimum of 40 and a maximum of 70 years behind bars. He’d get out at age 58 or age 88.
Discover more from Florida Action Committee (FAC)
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
The feds have rigged their system like this to induce plea deals. That’s why they have a very high conviction rate. I know from personal and painful experience. There is very little mercy in the federal system, especially for this type of offense.
Most of us don’t have the opportunity to tell our side of the story the way, thank goodness. Eric does.
This is the problem, I would bet if you had went to this family before this happen and said, “Hey we need to change the sex offender laws”. They would said get out of here you pervert. But now that it happens to you… The is the whole issue with ex facto, they say it is not punishment, until it happens to them.
The world has simply gone crazy!
Before we panic, remember that ‘faces a maximum’ in the feds is almost meaningless. Statutory maximum sentences do happen in the feds, but they are uncommon. Ditto stacked sentences.
He has NOT been sentenced to 70 years. In fact, he hasn’t been sentenced yet.
IF convicted on all three charges, and IF the judge applies upward departures in all three sentencing guidelines, and IF, on top of that, the judge stacks the sentences.
But that is a lot of ifs.
But this is what happens when we demand that the feds “go harder after the producers” of cp.
If you had said we don’t go after the producers enough, and he receives maximum sentencing, then you’ll get your wish.
We shouldn’t panic. We should just point out that prosecuting him at all for the pictures (rather than the blackmail) is simply wrong.
This is a common practice by the fbi from what I’ve seen/heard. Know of an individual with much the same case. Looked at under age picture on computer. Had not gone on to the fbi sight or any other sites in over 3 yrs! fbi show up at door – no knocking – bust the door down. The individual was now “adult”. Computer taken. Nothing on computer. They grill about previous activity. Because no attorney present And didn’t know he could refuse to answer he said; “Yes, 4 yrs ago I was on that sight for less than minute and left. Never went back.” Now life is ruined. He was told it would go better for him if he confessed. They had no evidence! (They even commented they were surprised by no activity on computer in those years.) It didn’t go better. 😥
All so some schmuck in a suit can gloat about “saving the children.”