Morgan Hill man sentenced to 17 years for coercion of Filipino minors for online sex acts
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (KION-TV)- A Morgan Hill man was sentenced Monday to 210 months in federal prison for trying to produce child porn, attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in child porn production, said United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan.
Johnny Ray Wolfenbarger, 65, was convicted on August 12, 2021, on all charges against him. The FBI led the investigation after receiving a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Wolfenbarger was exchanging child pornography using his email.
A search warrant was issued in 2016 on the suspected email account. The FBI found photos and videos of child pornography, chats detailing the solicitation of live-streamed child sex abuse shows, and receipts for money transfers by Wolfenbarger to sex traffickers in the Philippines, according to federal prosecutors.
The chats showed that he was directing the live-streamed sex shows to have the children engage in specific sex acts on camera. Investigators say they found that Wolfenbarger went to the Philippines through 2015 and early 2016.
When he arrived back on August 2, 2016, from one of his trips, an FBI Special Agent interviewed him, and Wolfenbarger admitted to his crimes, said investigators.
"Wolfenbarger directed the children in the shows to engage in sex acts by themselves, upon each other, and upon adults, and directed the use of bottles, vibrators, and other sex toys during these acts," according to federal investigators. "He also directed adults in the show to engage in sex acts upon the children and to use the sex toys upon them. The children who were in these shows engaging in sex acts, Wolfenbarger admitted, were twelve years old and younger – including as young as four years old."
The court said that Wolfenbarger took advantage of the children and their extreme poverty to convince them to commit these sex acts on camera. In one chat, a victim asked Wolfenbarger for money to attend a school Christmas party, and he wired her approximately $30 worth of Philippine Pesos, then added, "dad needs a good show later, my daughter."
Wolfenbarger was found guilty and sentenced for attempted production of child pornography, attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in the production of child pornography and the receipt of child pornography, according to federal prosecutors.
He will also have to serve s 15-year term of supervision upon release from prison. He was in custody and will begin serving his prison time immediately.
