San Francisco Police Department is intensifying its call for potential victims to come forward in the ongoing investigation of Ricci Lee Wynne, a 39-year-old San Francisco resident and social media figure who was recently indicted on child exploitation charges; Wynne is currently in custody, with the SFPD urging anyone who may have been victimized to contact investigators.
Arrested last November, Wynne was initially detained on suspicions of human trafficking, but subsequent discoveries pointed towards graver transgressions—producing child pornography, as revealed in a federal grand jury indictment reported by U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, which states that Wynne allegedly "employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct" for creating explicit videos and images, during instances said to have occurred on April 9 and October 29, 2022, an indictment is not a conviction but it does kickstart the judicial process where Wynne will face a minimum of 15 years to a maximum of 30 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines per violation if found guilty.
Ricci Wynne, known for highlighting crime and drug use in San Francisco through his social media platforms, has pleaded not guilty to earlier charges of pimping and pandering, but the recent indictment brings further attention to the dark underbelly of exploitation hidden behind his public persona; this detail emerges from the narrative spun by CBS San Francisco's coverage of the case.
Wynne, who allegedly abused girls as young as 13, became known for MAGA-themed content, even getting airtime on Fox News, as the Huffington Post notes.
Both the San Francisco Police Department and the FBI are involved in the investigation, with Wynne's next court appearance set for a status conference before Senior U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer on March 26, according to information disclosed in the indictment, reaffirming that all accused individuals are considered innocent until proven guilty and sentences, if convictions occur, are determined after guidelines and federal statutes are carefully weighed.
San Franciscans and anyone with information related to the case are encouraged to reach out to the authorities, with the SFPD providing a tip line and the FBI opening avenues for reports through phone calls or online submissions; these efforts reflect a community's collaborative stance against crimes that tarnish the city's streets and the lives of its most vulnerable citizens.
