Norfolk man sentenced to 10 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor

NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor.

According to court documents, in June 2024, law enforcement learned of an Instagram user selling CSAM. Investigators traced the user to the Norfolk residence of Isaiah Amery Muniz, 21. An examination of Muniz’ Instagram accounts suggested that Muniz was engaged in the sale and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). From one of those accounts, Muniz encouraged a 12-year-old victim to produce and send CSAM to him, at one point offering to send the victim $50 via Cash-app. Later that day, Muniz, again using Instagram, unsuccessfully attempted to obtain CSAM from another suspected minor.

Investigators identified approximately 800 CSAM images on Muniz’s phone.

“Isaiah Muniz’s crimes are abhorrent,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The images Muniz obtained through the exploitation of children caused irreparable harm to his victims. Such conduct underscores the profound damage inflicted by those who exploit children for profit, and this office will use every tool at its disposal to identify and prosecute such offenders.”

“This case is a stark reminder that behind every image is a real child being harmed," said Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Norfolk Field Office. “This sentence sends a clear message: those who exploit children will be found and held accountable. Crimes against children are among the FBI’s highest investigative priorities, and we will never stop working tirelessly with our partners to identify predators, protect victims and keep our children safe.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen S. Taylor prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-94.