Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

FRESNO, Calif. – Peter Yang, 34, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor today, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, on dates between November 2021 and March 2022, Yang communicated with a 15-year-old victim in Missouri on the gaming platform Among Us, and then through Discord and FaceTime calls.  Yang coerced the victim into creating and then transmitting sexually explicit images to Yang.  Yang also discussed traveling from California to Missouri to meet the victim in person at a motel near the victim’s residence.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Christian County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office and the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa is prosecuting the case.

Yang faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for sexual exploitation of a minor when he is sentenced on July 14, 2025.  Any sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.