California man accused of sexually exploiting Capital Region child

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A California man has been arrested and accused of sexually exploiting a child from Rensselaer County, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office Northern District of New York. Devin Ravine, 20, reportedly faces up to 30 years in prison.

According to a criminal complaint by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ravine began chatting with the 15-year-old victim on or around March 29 through a smartphone dating app, using the alias "Derek Johnson" and claiming he was 39 years old. Ravine allegedly knew that the victim was a minor, as her dating profile indicated that she was 15 years old and she also explicitly stated her age to him, the complaint said.

The two spoke with each other on Facetime and exchanged several text messages, authorities said. In many of the texts, Ravine allegedly persuaded the victim to send images and videos of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

From March 30 through April 1, Ravine repeatedly induced the victim to create child sexual abuse material and send it to him, authorities said. The suspect also sent the victim sexually explicit materials of himself, according to evidence recovered by the FBI.

According to the complaint, the 15-year-old was physically located in the Capital District during all of her communications with Ravine. The victim reported the communications to law enforcement in early April, authorities said, after an FBI event at a Rensselaer County school.

"This case is the result of what I like to call ‘Operation It’s Not Your Fault’ – FBI agents visit schools all over the Northern District of New York to educate students about internet safety and sextortion," said United States Attorney John Sarcone III. "Students may be embarrassed, ashamed, feeling that they’re at fault, afraid to tell their parents, and one of our messages is – no, it’s not your fault, and you should tell us if there are predators who have targeted you."

Officers reportedly obtained a search warrant for Ravine's residence in Riverside, California on April 3. During the search, authorities were able to recover the suspect's phone and confirm his communications with the victim, officials said.

Ravine was reportedly arrested on Friday and made an initial court appearance in the Central District of California. The 20-year-old also has a detention hearing scheduled for Tuesday, officials said.

According to the DA's Office, Ravine faces at least 15 and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and a supervised release term of at least five years and up to life. He may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victim and forfeit any devices used in the alleged offense. Additionally, the suspect would reportedly be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.