GREENBELT, Md. — Chase William Mulligan, 28, of Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty on May 21, 2025, to two counts of producing child sexual abuse material in federal court, following a sextortion scheme targeting over 100 girls aged 5 to 17 across multiple countries. Mulligan coerced victims into sending sexually explicit images and videos, threatening to post the material online or visit their homes if they refused to comply. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 60 years in federal prison, with sentencing scheduled for August 27, 2025.
From 2019 to December 2023, Mulligan used platforms including Snapchat, Discord, Roblox, Skype, Omegle, and Instagram to contact minors in the United States, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Philippines, Australia, and the United Kingdom. He manipulated at least 108 girls into producing and sending explicit content, directing them to expose their genitals, engage in sexual acts, urinate on camera, insert objects into their genitalia, or perform acts with dogs. When victims resisted sending more graphic material, Mulligan threatened to publicly share their images or confront them at their residences.
“Mulligan used manipulation, fear, and intimidation to exploit over 100 young victims. Now we must ensure that we send a clear message to Mulligan, and others, that those who abuse the most vulnerable members of our communities will pay a steep price,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes. “We’re committed to working with our law-enforcement partners to relentlessly pursue, prosecute, and bring to justice those who engage in these deplorable acts.”
“Chase Mulligan is a depraved and dangerous predator. He used social media to target, viciously threaten, and horribly abuse more than 100 minor victims – one as young as five years old,” said William J. DelBagno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office. “His abhorrent behavior is not diminished by the fact he was thousands of miles away and never met his victims, rather, it’s the opposite. Despite his distance, he presents a serious threat to any child he can access through the internet. The FBI works diligently every day to find and arrest predators like Mulligan so they can no longer prey on innocent children.”
As part of his plea agreement, Mulligan must register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act wherever he resides, works, or studies. The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan S. McKoy and Elizabeth Wright, falls under Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation. The program coordinates federal, state, and local efforts to apprehend and prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
The investigation, led by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, underscores the severity of online predation. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI’s efforts, emphasizing the commitment to protecting vulnerable children. Sentencing before U.S. District Judge Theodore C. Chuang will determine Mulligan’s final penalty, reflecting the gravity of his actions against minors worldwide.
