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SALT LAKE CITY — Criminal charges have been filed against a man accused of soliciting nude photos of children on Snapchat, and a woman accused of sending him photos of a child to impress him.
Christopher Poole, 34, of Tooele,was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with solicitation of rape of a child, and two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, both first-degree felonies; and 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.
His co-defendant, Brittany Driscoll, 36, of Taylorsville, is charged with aggravated sexual abuse of a child and sexual exploitation of a minor, both first-degree felonies; and 14 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.
The investigation began on Aug. 31, when Snapchat filed a report with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children stating that suspected child pornography had been uploaded to a Snapchat account.
Agents with the Internet Crimes Against Children task force served a search warrant on Poole's account and found "multiple files — images and videos — of child pornography," according to charging documents.
"A review of Poole's Snapchat account chat history discovered numerous messages between Poole and other Snapchat users asking for and distributing child pornography," the charges state.
On Jan. 25, investigators served a search warrant at Poole's residence and questioned him. "Poole admitted he had viewed child pornography for about 20 years," according to the charges.
While being questioned by law enforcement, Poole also admitted to receiving photos of a young girl that were taken by Driscoll, whom he was in a relationship with, the court documents state.
On Jan. 27, while serving a search warrant at Driscoll's residence, investigators say she admitted to taking pictures and videos of a young girl and sending them to Poole "for his sexual gratification," and because she "wanted Poole to like her" and "wanted 'to impress him," the charges state.
Poole also tried to solicit the woman's help in having a sexual encounter with a child, the charges allege.
In addition to child pornography, police searching Poole's home reported finding drugs and "seized 11 guns hidden throughout the home."
