A 26-year-old Folsom man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a child he met on Snapchat, followed by 10 years of supervised release once he's out. Investigators say William James Fitzgerald also had more than 1,000 files depicting the sexual abuse of children stashed on his phone and iPad.
U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins handed down the sentence, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California, which announced the sentencing for one count of sexual exploitation of a child. The case has drawn attention from the FBI's Sacramento field office, which flagged the sentencing in a post on X, as reported by FBI Sacramento
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The report is available from https://t.co/qMs3DEKWWx.
How the Abuse Unfolded Over 18 Months and 19 Days
According to court documents described by Gold Rush Cam, Fitzgerald used a minor he met on Snapchat to produce sexually explicit photographs and videos between October 15, 2020, and May 4, 2022. The outlet reports that he persuaded or coerced the child into creating the explicit material at least four times, dangling and then sending Amazon gift cards worth between $20 and $30 each time.
Beyond the Snapchat case, the same report says Fitzgerald knowingly kept more than 1,000 files depicting the sexual abuse of children on his phone and iPad. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation together with the Folsom Police Department, per the outlet's account, and FBI Sacramento's post thanked the Folsom Police Department for its partnership on the case.
A Guilty Plea With Conflicting Dates
Fitzgerald pleaded guilty to the single count of sexual exploitation of a child on August 1, 2025, when he was 25.
FBI Warns Against Assuming Online Anonymity
In its post announcing the sentence, FBI Sacramento included a pointed warning aimed at would-be offenders. “Offenders who think online anonymity will protect them are wrong,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh.
FBI Sacramento is directing anyone with information about child exploitation to contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. The agency's post also pointed to the Eastern District of California's case page for further details on Fitzgerald's sentence.
