For three years, a 32-year-old La Center man pretended to be Snapchat tech support and conned users out of their logins, then raided their private photo vaults. On Friday, that scheme caught up with him in a Tacoma federal courtroom, where he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for targeting more than 170 people, many of them teenagers. Prosecutors say the intimate images and videos he stole often wound up circulating online, compounding the harm to already traumatized victims after a multi-year federal cybercrime investigation.
Federal court delivers decade-long prison term
Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo sentenced Dylan Rex to 10 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release, according to a press release from the Department of Justice. At the hearing in Tacoma, Estudillo did not mince words, telling Rex, “For three years, you were acting like a creature,” the release states.
Prosecutors said Rex pleaded guilty in August 2025 to multiple federal counts, including wire fraud and computer fraud. The decade-long term is followed by 15 years of supervision, setting him up for close monitoring long after he walks out of prison.
How he gained access
According to prosecutors, Rex’s scam was low-tech but highly effective. He posed as Snapchat tech staff, sending victims bogus password-reset prompts from fake email addresses and phone numbers. He then asked them to share the six-digit codes they received, claiming he needed the codes to “help” restore their accounts.
Once victims handed over the codes, Rex locked them out and downloaded their private photos and videos. Investigators say the fraud ran from July 2020 through March 2023, as reported by KIRO 7.
Devices, images and a disturbing request
Federal agents searched Rex’s home on March 29, 2023, seizing multiple electronic devices. They ultimately uncovered more than 600 images of child sexual abuse material spread across eight devices, according to the Department of Justice release.
The same release says Rex did not just hoard the material. He circulated many of the stolen files online and, in one particularly chilling episode, offered payment to a mother to sexually abuse and film her own child. Federal authorities described his conduct as “calculated, cruel, and downright depraved.”
Not an isolated problem
Child-exploitation experts say Rex’s case slots into a disturbing national trend: sextortion schemes and account takeovers that weaponize supposedly ephemeral apps. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline has logged millions of reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation in recent years.
For families and young users trying to stay ahead of scams, officials point to reporting guidance at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CyberTipline. The Pacific Northwest has seen similar Snapchat-linked cases, including an Eugene man indicted in a separate alleged abuse and computer-crimes case.
Charges and previous state case
Rex ultimately pleaded guilty to seven counts of wire fraud, seven counts of computer fraud, one count of possession of child pornography and one count of attempted enticement of a minor, according to KIRO 7.
His federal case was not his only legal trouble. A related Clark County Superior Court case led to a state voyeurism conviction in October 2025 and a 90-day sentence, according to court records.
Where to get help
Federal officials and child-safety advocates are urging anyone who believes they were targeted in a similar scheme to contact local law enforcement. They also encourage reports of suspected online sexual exploitation to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CyberTipline, which works with law enforcement nationwide to triage and investigate tips.
