A sentencing hearing scheduled Friday was delayed until next month for a Palmdale man who coerced children into producing and sharing sexually explicit content with him.
Darius Edwards, 23, pleaded guilty in March in Los Angeles federal court to three counts of receipt of child pornography.
A December date for the sentencing hearing was not immediately scheduled.
Edwards faces between five and 60 years in federal prison, lifetime supervised release and at least $750,000 in fines, prosecutors said.
He will also be required to register as a sex offender, possibly for life.
Edwards was employed by Palmdale’s Department of Parks and Recreation until his termination early last year.
According to his plea agreement, Edwards engaged in separate sexual conversations online with three girls who were then 15, 16 and 17 years of age. During their communications, Edwards “asked, encouraged, convinced, demanded and pressured” the minors to send him child sexual abuse material they created of themselves, the agreement states.
For example, in March 2024, Edwards communicated with the then-15-year-old girl and requested that she produce and share with him child sexual abuse material of herself. Edwards received at least one photo and three videos from the victim depicting the material, according to court papers.
Edwards was charged in a 12-count indictment in February 2025 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.