BOSTON — A Brookline man is accused of using Snapchat to lure several young children in multiple states to send him explicit and degrading photographs and videos of themselves, the U.S. Attorney said Thursday.
Scott Cunha, 24, was ordered held pending a detention hearing on Jan. 29 after appearing in federal court in Boston on Thursday, following his arrest at his home in Brookline, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement.
Cunha is charged with recruiting a 15-year-old child to produce and send him child pornography. He is due back in court on Wednesday.
Cunha formerly worked for the Town of Brookline as a youth swim coach and lifeguard, according to his LinkedIn profile and town payroll records. The town’s recreation director said in an email Thursday that Cunha “is not currently an employee of the Brookline Recreation Department/the Town of Brookline and has not been for over 2.5 years.”
“Today the Town of Brookline was made aware of the arrest of former part-time employee, Scott Cunha, employed with the Town from September 2019 to July 2022. We have no evidence at this time that the circumstances of this case are related to his employment,” Town of Brookline spokesperson Christina Metcalf said in a statement on Thursday afternoon.
“We understand this news may be concerning to our community, and our thoughts are especially with those who have been harmed. As this is an ongoing, federally led investigation, we must refer further inquiries on this specific case to the FBI,” Metcalf said.
At least a dozen potential minor victims of Cunha have been identified so far, and an investigation is ongoing, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors allege that Cunha victimized children in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Alabama.
Federal investigators in their report detailed graphic and disturbing electronic communications between Cunha and the children he is accused of sexually exploiting.
“Ur a slut that’s why have u round not looking for forever or love just obedience and nudes,” Cunha is alleged to have messaged one of the young victims, court documents show.
According to the complaint, from at least 2022 to 2024, Cunha communicated over Snapchat with multiple minor children between 10 and 16 years old from across the country.
Cunha met up with at least one minor victim, according to the complaint.
One of the alleged victims, an Indiana girl, was 10 or 11 when Cunha began communicating with her, court documents show. Another, in Massachusetts, was just 13. Yet another, in Connecticut, was 15.
Using Snapchat, prosecutors said Cunha enticed victims to send him child pornography -- explicit and degrading videos of themselves -- and offered to pay the children money in exchange for meeting up with him in person and engaging in sex acts with him.
On May 2, 2023, Cunha asked one of the victims, a 15-year-old Connecticut girl, “How much her price would be for ‘irl’ stuff and told her that he would make time for her whenever she was ready to see him ‘irl,’” court documents show. “He also reminded her that for ‘kinkier stuff the more I’ll pay.’”
Cunha allegedly discussed “prices” for when he met with the minor, and “specifically discussed the amount of money it would cost” Cunha for the girl to engage in certain sex acts, including anal sex, with him, investigators said in their report.
The girl’s cell phone showed multiple incoming and outgoing calls with Cunha during May 2023. Investigators said the conversations ranged from 24 seconds to 56 minutes. Cunha also initiated Facetime video calls with the girl on multiple occasions throughout May 2023.
Cunha’s CashApp records revealed that he paid the girl on multiple occasions from May 4, 2023 through May 8, 2023, investigators said.
The accused child predator also directed a 14-year-old girl in Indiana to “run to the bathroom” and send him nude pictures from school on multiple occasions, investigators said in their report.
Cunha allegedly directed the girl “to send pictures of herself playing with her breasts, degrading herself, and calling herself a ‘worthless slut,’” investigators said.
In another instance, after Cunha directed the girl to send him a pornographic video of herself, “He told her to ‘degrade’ herself and then specifically suggested a way in which she could do that.” The girl replied, “I don’t want to… I’m stressed and I’m sad.”
On June 26, 2023, the girl told Cunha “that sending him pictures all day was affecting her mental health, that she had ‘major depression’ and that she was uncomfortable,” investigators said.
Anyone who believes they may be a victim or know a victim related to this case is urged to call 617-748-3274.
Brookline town officials also encouraged potential victims to call Brookline Police at 617-730-2222.
Town officials in their statement also provided additional resources available 24/7:
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline or 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678); Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453 and My Life My Choice.
If convicted, Cunha faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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