A Palmdale man faces serious charges after a federal grand jury indicted him for allegedly exploiting teenage girls online. Darius Desean Edwards, 21, stands accused of six counts of production and possession of child pornography, and two counts of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activities, per an indictment released by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California.
Edwards, who was terminated from his position with Palmdale’s Department of Parks and Recreation amid the investigation, allegedly coerced a 16-year-old girl between October and December 2023 and a 15-year-old girl in March 2024 into creating and sending him explicit materials soliciting at least one video and several other explicit files from the minors. Edwards "was arrested this morning and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles," as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California. The federal charges could result in a significant prison sentence if he is convicted, reflecting a minimum of five years for each count related to child pornography and up to a maximum of life for enticement.
An indictment is not an admission of guilt but a formal accusation that an individual has committed a crime, as such, Edwards is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The FBI's investigation into the matter could potentially unearth additional evidence as the prosecutors, including Assistant United States Attorney Lyndsi Allsop from the Violent and Organized Crime Section, move forward with the case.
