DA: Teen tricked, blackmailed dozens of minors into sending sexual images

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA (WTXF) - Police in Delaware County have announced the arrest of a high school senior following a child pornography investigation.

"It's surprising. Really surprising," said Menke Tak. She can't believe the news she heard about her neighbor 18-year-old Derrick Jones who was a senior at Bonner Prendie High until today.

"He's nice. I don't know. I can't believe that," said Tak.

During a news conference Thursday afternoon, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan said Jones is arrested and charged with child pornography.

Investigators say he assumed a fake identity on social media and using different texting apps he pretended to be a girl named Haley and contacted other teen boys at different schools in the county. Jones allegedly sent nude pictures of a girl from a porn site claiming to be Haley. Then he investigators say he would ask the teen boys to do the same.

"To send pictures of themselves naked to Haley and then Haley would go beyond that and say create videos of yourself performing acts of sex on yourself and send them to Haley," said D.A. Whelan.

He says this went on for years and when the victims decided they didn't want to do it anymore he says Jones would blackmail them telling them if they didn't continue he would send the pictures and videos he already had to their family and friends.

One victim refused and Jones allegedly carried out his threat.

"To his family and friends. The father, the sister, the cousin, the aunt all got an Instagram message. They open it and what they are shocked to see is this young teenage boy engaged in sexual acts," said D.A. Whelan. Investigators have 5 victims so far and are in the process of contacting 60 more but there are other victims out there. Marcellus Brown is a junior at Bonner Prendie and says he found out what happened from his brother.

"He told me he sat next to him in theology which surprised me. He was kind of freaked out that something like this actually happened," said Brown.

Investigators say there are more than 100 victims. If you think your child may be one of them contact the Delaware County District Attorney's Office.