A 22-year-old California man has pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting children as young as 9 years old across at least 18 states, including Kansas, after federal prosecutors say he posed as a minor himself to coerce kids into sexually explicit behavior during live video calls. Adrian Gutierrez, of Ontario, California, admitted to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor involving a child residing in Kansas. A federal judge will determine his sentence.
According to KCTV, Gutierrez communicated with dozens of minors across multiple online platforms, ultimately leading investigators to identify 21 victims spanning at least 18 different states. The station reports that Gutierrez misrepresented his true identity and age to his targets, telling victims he was a minor as well. Prosecutors say he coerced minors into sexually explicit conduct during live video calls.
A U.S. Department of Justice press release issued Thursday lays out a timeline stretching from May 2023 to October 2024, during which Gutierrez used live video calls to coerce minors into sexually explicit behavior. U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser said Gutierrez primarily targeted children between 10 and 12 years old; the victims included children as young as 9.
FBI Investigation Led to Kansas Prosecution
The Justice Department confirmed the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey McCormick prosecuting the case.
Law enforcement has been unable to fully identify all of Gutierrez's victims, including some children believed to be living outside the United States.
Mandatory Minimum Sentence Looms in January
A federal district judge is scheduled to sentence Gutierrez on January 5, 2027.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide Department of Justice initiative established in May 2006 to combat online child sexual exploitation by coordinating federal, state, and local resources.
National Reports of Online Enticement Soar
The case arrives amid a sharp nationwide rise in reported online enticement. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reported that such cases topped 1.4 million in 2025, a 158% increase over the previous year.
The federal REPORT Act includes reporting requirements for online enticement and child sex trafficking.
Gutierrez's case joins a growing list of child exploitation prosecutions working through Kansas federal and state courts in recent weeks, including a former Bonner Springs detective who rejected a 25-year plea deal in a stalking and child pornography case, a former Johnson County worker sentenced to 60 days after admitting exploitation charges, and a Chanute man arrested on a child-sex charge.
