A Palmdale man was arrested Wednesday on federal charges alleging he coerced two minors into producing and sharing with him sexually explicit content of themselves and enticed one minor to have sex with him.
Darius Desean Edwards, 21, is charged with five counts of production of child pornography, five counts of receipt of child pornography, and two counts of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Edwards, who was employed by Palmdale’s Department of Parks and Recreation until his recent termination, is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in federal court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to the indictment, from October 2023 until December 2023, Edwards allegedly engaged in sexual conversations with a then-16-year-old girl and requested her to produce and share with him child sexual abuse material of herself. Edwards received at least one video from the teenager depicting child sexual abuse material, federal prosecutors allege.
In March 2024, Edwards allegedly communicated with a then-15-year-old girl and requested that she produce and share with him child sexual abuse material of herself. Edwards allegedly received at least one photo and three videos from this victim depicting child sexual abuse material, according to court papers.
If convicted, Edwards would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count of receipt of child pornography, a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison for each count of production of child pornography, and a sentence of between 10 years and life in prison for each count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, prosecutors noted.