Utah man accused of sexually exploiting Michigan girl charged with 17 felony crimes

SOUTH JORDAN — A 19-year-old Utah man has been arrested and accused of harassing a 15-year-old girl in Michigan in a disturbing case of sexual exploitation, according to police. He now faces 17 first-degree felony charges.

Muridi Mukhtar Hussein was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail one week ago. On Wednesday, he was charged in 3rd District Court with 13 counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of aggravated sexual extortion of a minor, and two counts of criminal solicitation of a minor — all first-degree felonies.

The investigation began in August in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, when a 15-year-old girl contacted police saying someone with a phone number that had an 801 area code had sent her messages. Police later traced the number back to Hussein, according to a police booking affidavit. The affidavit does not state how Hussein got the girl's number.

The girl falsely told Hussein she had two brothers and a younger sister, according to the affidavit. Police say the girl does not have a sister.

Not long after the teen began communicating with Hussein, he asked her to send him sexually explicit pictures, which the girl initially refused to do. Hussein then offered her $5,000, the affidavit states.

Hussein continued requesting more pictures and videos — offering the teen thousands of dollars — and asked for photos of the girl's sister, according to charging documents. The girl told police she created an AI image of a 13-year-old girl in a bikini and sent it.

"Hussein then sent a debit card number to (the teen) and told her she could use it to purchase things for herself and that he wanted more sexually explicit photos on social media and threatened to come to (her) address. (The teen) advised that Hussein texted her home address, even though she never provided it to him. (She) blocked Hussein's number, but was later texted by an additional phone number which began harassing her for being blocked," according to the affidavit.

The girl blocked the second number and was later texted by a third number. After that, she called 911 "for fear that Hussein would come to her house since he appeared to know her address," the affidavit states.

Detectives reviewed the teen's phone and found several messages in which Hussein offered the teen money in exchange for sexually explicit material. His requests became more graphic and his messages more threatening if the girl did not comply, according to the affidavit.

"I'll stop once I start seeing ur sister ... And then I'll let you go," Hussein told the girl in one message, the affidavit states.

At one point, the teen "begged Hussein, '(You) promised me that I would be done tonight, please let me be done I am begging you,'" police wrote in the affidavit.

Police traced Hussein's phone number and email address back to him and, after questioning him at his residence, arrested him.

On Wednesday, prosecutors requested that Hussein be held in jail without the possibility of posting bail, pending his trial.

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