A man accused of using social media to lure more than 80 children throughout the United States and induce them into performing sexual acts was convicted last week in Sacramento Superior Court.
When Demetrius Carl Davis was arrested in April 2022, he was charged with 32 felony counts of committing a lewd or lascivious act with a child younger than 14 years old.
Last Friday, Davis pleaded no contest to 12 felony counts of committing a lewd or lascivious act with a child and admitted to allegations that he victimized multiple children younger than 14., the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday in a news release.
Davis, 29, entered his no contest plea three days before his trial was scheduled to start, court records show.
On Thursday, Davis remained in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail. He is scheduled to return to court Oct. 16 for his sentencing hearing.
Prosecutors said Davis will be sentenced to 300 years to life in prison as part of a plea agreement with the District Attorney’s Office.
California, Texas, New York, Indiana and Florida victims
Five girls and two boys are listed as victims in the 22-page criminal complaint; ages 6 to 13. Sacramento County sheriff’s officials said Davis was accused of victimizing over 80 children throughout the United States, children from California and 25 other states, including Texas, Indiana, Florida and New York.
Investigators from a regional cyber task force worked with U.S. Department of Homeland Security to help identify at least 15 other children internationally who were allegedly victimized by Davis, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Prosecutors and sheriff’s officials said Davis, using images he illicitly obtained from another victim, pretended to be a pre-pubescent girl named “Lizzy” on social media to befriend children and lure them into performing sexual acts online.
In the filed criminal complaint, prosecutors alleged Davis initiated substantial sexual interactions with children younger than 14, used obscene material depicting sexual conduct, induced others to participate in a crime, induced a minor to commit or assist in a crime and committed the crimes in a manner that indicated planning and sophistication.
Task force investigation
The investigation that led to Davis’ arrest began with a tip to the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
The tip, which came from the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children, was about an online account suspected of uploading child sexual abuse material onto the internet, a sheriff’s spokesperson said when Davis was arrested.
The task force on Dec. 1, 2021, served a search warrant at Davis’ home, where investigators discovered screen recordings on his digital devices that depicted children engaged in sexual acts, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators learned that Davis created the fake identity on various social media accounts. Davis used the social media accounts to befriend children and communicate with them to “groom” them for sexual abuse, using sexually explicit language and sending them child sexual abuse videos, the sheriff’s spokesperson said.
Investigators, through forensic analysis, discovered numerous files of child sexual abuse material stored on Davis’ cellphones and the social media accounts he was using to communicate with the victims.
Rosalio Ahumada
The Sacramento Bee
Rosalio Ahumada writes breaking news stories related to crime and public safety for The Sacramento Bee. He speaks Spanish fluently and has worked as a news reporter in the Central Valley since 2004.
