Pine City man admits luring girls into sending explicit images and sexually assaulting two of them

A 26-year-old man admitted Wednesday to luring girls as young as 11 into sending him sexually explicit images and sexually assaulting two of them.

Caleb V. McLaughlin, 26, of Pine City, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis to soliciting, producing, receiving and distributing images of child pornography and enticing a child to engage in illegal sexual activity.

McLaughlin remains in federal custody in the Anoka County jail ahead of sentencing on Feb. 13.

According to prosecutors and his guilty plea:

Since at least January 2019, McLaughlin created numerous social media accounts and apps to solicit and direct minor girls in Minnesota, ages 11 to 16 years old, to produce sexually explicit images and videos to send to him.

He used various aliases and Snapchat IDs including "Jake Benson," "Lift11" or "Tech4cm" in his scheme, and at times purported to be 17 years old to prey on the girls. He would offer the girls drugs, alcohol, cash or gift cards in exchange for sex.

One of the counts against McLaughlin accuses him of persuading a girl in Ramsey County to commit sex acts over a six-month period last year. He's also accused of recording himself sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl on Thanksgiving Day last year and then distributing the video for others to see.

The FBI is asking anyone with tips about others possibly victimized by McLaughlin to contact the agency at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.