McAllen man faces up to life in federal prison after threatening children for explicit photos

MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A McAllen man has pleaded guilty to using Instagram to ask for explicit photos from children, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.

Israel Ruiz, 23, pleaded guilty to attempting to coerce and entice a minor, the release stated.

From January to February of 2020, Ruiz was using Instagram to ask for explicit photos of children as young as 9 years old, federal authorities said.

During the investigation, authorities discovered Ruiz had used several tactics to obtain the explicit images, including using social media. According to the release, Ruiz would threaten to post nude images of the minors or their friends online if they they did not send more images.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa is scheduled to sentence Ruiz on July 19. He faces up to life in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

Ruiz remains in custody pending sentencing.