An 18-year-old Marmaduke man is being held on a $250,000 bond after law enforcement accused him of exploiting minors online to obtain explicit content and threatening to distribute the material.
Greene County District Court Judge Curtis Hitt found probable cause on Wednesday to charge Elijah Aiden May with possession or use of child sexual abuse material and sexual extortion, both classified as Class B felonies.
According to an affidavit, the Jonesboro Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit initiated the investigation after receiving four cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Social media platforms Instagram and Snapchat shared information with the organization, including account identifiers, linked emails, and phone numbers.
Detective Adam Hampton stated that he investigated a Snapchat account with the username "necromaniac08" tied to the name "Aiden." Information provided by the platforms included images, videos, and chat logs allegedly showing the account user contacting girls between 9 and 12 years old. According to investigators, the messages involved demands for nude images and videos, threatening to post already obtained material online if the victims did not send more or comply with specific instructions.
Using data obtained through a search warrant served to Snapchat, Hampton reported identifying May as the account user through personal photographs linked to the profile. A school resource officer confirmed May’s identity, the affidavit noted.
Authorities, including Greene County sheriff’s deputies, Paragould police, and ICAC investigators, arrested May on Wednesday before booking him into the Greene County Detention Center. During an interview, May admitted to making threats to release the explicit material and confirmed having the images on his device, according to Hampton’s affidavit.
As a condition of his potential release on bond, Judge Hitt ordered May to wear a GPS ankle monitor, avoid all contact with minors, abstain from accessing the internet, and be prohibited from possessing internet-enabled devices.
Those with information on suspected child exploitation are encouraged to contact law enforcement or report tips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children through its website at missingkids.org or by calling 1-800-THE-LOST.