A Palm Springs man pleaded guilty Monday to streaming sexually explicit videos of children – some of them toddlers – in a Zoom online meeting room for individuals “interested in child exploitation,” officials said.
Michael John Andersen, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography — a federal criminal charge, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said in a news release.
In February 2018, Andersen and other individuals logged into a Zoom meeting room that law enforcement previously identified as a place for people interested in sexually explicit images and videos of children. Within a 10-minute span, Andersen — using the login name “TattdPigPS” — streamed three sexually explicit videos of children – two of the videos featured toddlers, according to his plea agreement.
In March 2018, Andersen logged into the same Zoom meeting room and again streamed two sexually explicit videos featuring children, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Authorities recorded both sessions in which Andersen posted child pornography online.
In August 2018, officials executed a search warrant at Andersen’s home. Andersen admitted to law enforcement officials that he believed the agents were at his residence because of his activities in “pedophile or perv Zoom rooms,” the news release states.
He also admitted to previously streaming child pornography on Zoom, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A forensic analysis of Andersen’s digital devices, including an iPhone and iPad, revealed approximately 151 images and nine videos of child pornography.
A sentencing hearing was scheduled for Oct. 24, at which time Andersen will face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.