Former Reston Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Charges

ABINGDON, Va. – A man who used Snapchat to sexually exploit a pair of middle school girls from Southwest Virginia, pled guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Abingdon.

Justin Steven Boileau, 30, a former resident of Reston, Va., who also spent time in Merritt Island, Fla., pled guilty yesterday to two counts of sexual exploitation of children.

“Protecting children from online threats is a priority for the prosecutors in the Western District of Virginia,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “We will continue to work with our partners at the FBI, as well as state and local law enforcement, to hold accountable sexual predators who target our children online.”

“While social media is a powerful tool for keeping us connected, it can also be a dangerous weapon criminals use to take advantage of our kids. In bringing justice for these victims, we ask all parents and guardians to stay engaged and know who your children are talking to online,” said Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division.

According to court documents, Boileau used the messaging app Snapchat to entice two minor females from Southwest Virginia – Minor Victim One and Minor Victim Two– to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct.

Specifically, in the fall of 2023, Boileau began conversing with Minor Victim One via Snapchat. At the time, Boileau was in his late 20s and resided in Reston, Virginia. Minor Victim One was twelve years old at that time and lived in Russell County, Va. Boileau portrayed himself online as a hockey player named ‘Josh’ and began conversating with Minor Victim One in an explicitly sexual manner. These conversations continued over the course of several months through the early part of 2024. During these conversations, Boileau asked Minor Victim One for sexually explicit depictions of herself. At Boileau’s request, Minor Victim One sent, among other things, nude photos and videos of herself. Boileau also sent sexually explicit images to MV1.

Additionally, in early 2024, Boileau used Snapchat to converse with Minor Victim Two, a twelve-year-old minor who lived in Russell County, Va. As with Minor Victim One, Boileau’s conversations with Minor Victim Two were sexual in nature. At Boileau’s request, MV2 sent sexually explicit photos and videos of herself. 

Boileau knew both Minor Victim One and Minor Victim Two were minors when he requested they send him explicit images and videos.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Russell County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorney Carrie Macon is prosecuting the case for the United States.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.