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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Philadelphia man pretended to be a prince in an elaborate catfishing scheme to get young boys to send him explicit photographs of themselves, according to federal authorities.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported 49-year-old David Milliner pleaded not guilty to child pornography charges during a court hearing Thursday.
Prosecutors said Milliner claimed he was a man named Prince Daniel David DeRothschild and used photos of Michael Jackson's nephew, T.J. Jackson, to fool his victims.
He claimed that he was a "trillionaire," lived in a mansion and was close friends with Prince, George Clooney and Nicki Minaj, according to prosecutors.
"He convinced (his victims) that he was rich and famous," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Rotella. "And he would never send them photos of his face."
Authorities said Milliner used several social media accounts in which he pretended to be members of DeRothschild's entourage to support his claims. He even fabricated a publication, Rich and Royal Magazine, to promote the prince's existence.
Milliner convinced at least five boys he met online to send photos of themselves, prosecutors said.
Police arrested him in February in the Philadelphia apartment where he lived alone.
Milliner faces a minimum of 15 years in prison if convicted. He is in federal custody pending an Oct. 2 trial.
His attorney declined to comment Thursday.
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Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.inquirer.com
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