Overview
- Joshua Rogers, 30, was arrested Wednesday in Chicago and charged in Massachusetts by federal criminal complaint, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
- Charging documents allege he used a Snapchat persona named “John,” presented as a 17-year-old, to communicate with the 14-year-old victim.
- Prosecutors say he coerced the minor to perform and record sexual acts and received at least seven nude and sexually explicit videos, later messaging her after a call on Signal.
- Investigators say the communications included talk of kidnapping the girl or her running away, and digital tracing led authorities to Rogers’ residence in Chicago.
- The case is brought under Project Safe Childhood; if convicted, he faces 15 to 30 years in prison, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.