Virginia Man Sentenced for Exploiting Over 40 Minors on Snapchat

• •Malachi Morgan Thomas exploited over 40 girls via a hacked Snapchat account.
• •He received a 40-year prison sentence for coercing minors to produce CSAM.
• •Thomas used threats and psychological manipulation to control his victims.

Malachi Morgan Thomas, a 24-year-old from Woodbridge, Virginia, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for exploiting over 40 girls aged 12 to 17 through a hacked Snapchat account. He coerced the minors into creating and sending him child sexual abuse material (CSAM) using threats and psychological manipulation. Thomas had previously hacked a minor's Snapchat account to gain control and leverage fear of physical harm to ensure compliance. His tactics included claiming to lead a criminal organization and threatening to harm the victims or their families. The abuse occurred between March and October 2020, culminating in physical assaults on at least two victims. Law enforcement discovered evidence of his crimes during unrelated investigations, leading to his arrest in October 2020. Thomas pled guilty to multiple charges in April 2026 and received the maximum sentence on September 24, 2026.