Dacula man sentenced to 20 years for exploiting minors online

DACULA, Ga. - A Dacula man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material after using social media to exploit minors, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

What we know:

Johann Rainer Nix, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee to 20 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Nix pleaded guilty on Nov. 18 to one count of production of child sexual abuse material.

According to information presented in court, Nix used popular social media applications throughout 2022 and 2023 to groom four children he met online. Prosecutors said he coerced and enticed all four minors to create and send him sexually explicit media. Authorities said Nix also sent several minors photographs of his genitalia.

What they're saying:

"Nix used popular social media platforms to lure and exploit minors," said Theodore S. Hertzberg. "Parents should monitor their children’s social media use because predators like Nix are lurking online. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue, arrest, and prosecute child sex offenders like Nix."

Paul Brown, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, said the agency will continue aggressive efforts to target online predators.

"Nix exploited vulnerable minors on social media for his depraved desires, and the FBI will relentlessly use every tool at our disposal to put predators like him behind bars," Brown said. "We urge parents to closely monitor their children’s social media use and have open conversations about online safety to protect them from predators."