A San Angelo man was sentenced to 245 years in federal prison for sextorting minors and an adult across the United States, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Juelz Sincere Armstead, 21, was found guilty by a Lubbock, Texas jury in April 2025 on five counts of production of child pornography, two counts of attempted production of child pornography, and seven counts of cyber stalking, following a four-day jury trial.
He was sentenced on July 15, 2025, to 2,940 months in federal prison by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
“The horrendous acts against each victim in this case warranted the substantial sentence imposed here,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “We hope that the lengthy incarceration of this defendant will assist the victims as they continue in the healing process and serve as a warning to like-minded predators that we will pursue swift justice and extensive punishment for these types of despicable crimes.”
“This sentence reflects the unspeakable harm Juel Armstead inflicted on innocent victims and the tireless commitment of law enforcement to bring predators like him to justice,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard.
Pickard added, “No amount of time can undo the trauma caused, but a 2,940-month sentence ensures this individual will never again have the opportunity to victimise a child. HSI Dallas and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our mission to protect the most vulnerable among us and hold those who exploit them accountable.”
According to evidence presented at trial, over the course of approximately three years, Armstead met his victims, nine minors and one adult, on various social media platforms.
He cyberstalked and coerced them into sending him sexually explicit photographs and videos, routinely threatening to expose this material to family, friends, and others if they did not create and send him more sexual abuse material.
Testimony in the case revealed that the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office arrested Armstead for his conduct in December 2022 and, upon his release from jail, Armstead obtained another cell phone and continued his sextortion scheme.
Armstead continued to amass more victims until his second arrest in February 2024.
At trial, victims from across the United States testified about the abuse and the emotional trauma Armstead caused them.
Many victims described how Armstead’s threats placed them in fear, that they felt their lives were over, and that they felt as if Armstead’s actions were raping them. In some cases, victims felt suicidal.
Graphic photographs and videos were discussed at trial, including one of a 14-year-old victim with tears rolling down her cheeks as she created the sexually explicit video Armstead demanded.
Another 18-year-old victim was so fearful of Armstead’s repeated threats to harm and expose her that she was manipulated into filming sexually explicit videos of her 13-year-old sister. The prosecution introduced tens of thousands of pages of messages between Armstead and the victims, along with hundreds of photographs and video evidence.
At sentencing, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Mike Baker testified that there were additional victims who were too traumatised to prepare for and attend trial.
In issuing the 245-year sentence, Judge James Wesley Hendrix described Armstead’s conduct as “repeat, incessant terrorising and bullying [of] these victims over and over again without any sign of mercy.”
Judge Hendrix told Armstead, “You are an incredible danger. The protection of the public is at its apex here.”
