SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A man arrested earlier this month for charges relating to child pornography is back in jail. He's now facing a federal criminal complaint for allegedly soliciting inappropriate photos from youth in Florida.
The FBI alleges in a federal complaint filed Monday that Eric Jacob Layton, 49, pretended to be a doctor, a sportswriter and a modeling recruiter while targeting underage victims for child pornography from March – April of this year.
“The current charges filed against Mr. Layton are serious, and the implications for further charges are even more serious," said Jessica Pride, a San Diego sexual assault attorney ABC 10News asked to comment on the case.
Layton posed as a writer for Box Rec, a website dedicated to boxers, when contacting youth boxers and proceeded to pretend to interview them, the complaint alleges.
A 15-year-old boy got a phone call from someone claiming to be a USA Boxing physician asking how the youth could participate in a boxing event without a physical exam. The conversation turned sexual, and the supposed doctor asked the boy’s father to send photos of his son’s pelvic area.
The minor’s parents contacted the CyberTipline with their concerns, and the Plantation Police Department and authorities started investigating.
The USA Boxing president told the father he was the fourth parent to come forward to report the odd behavior.
Police obtained Instagram chats between Layton and minors and got a warrant for his arrest. They later found messages on his phone showing he contacted five minors pretending to be a modeling agent to produce child porn.
Authorities first arrested Layton in San Diego on July 6 for state child pornography-related charges. He was booked and then released from custody.
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Layton used to be known as Eric Leighton Abrams and legally changed his name, according to the complaint.
In 1999, Eric Leighton Abrams was sentenced to two years in prison for false imprisonment and annoying or molesting a child charges. He pleaded no contest in Santa Clara County.
The SF Gate reported Abrams posed as a Nike representative tricking a boy into thinking he won a prize, luring him to his house. The outlet also said he impersonated a police officer while luring a 13-year-old boy into his car.
“Studies have shown that with sexual predators they tend to like to perpetrate their crimes in the same manner, so they have an M.O., a dance that they do when they're trying to molest a child,” said Pride.
San Diego Police said Tuesday they are concerned there could be more victims.
The FBI is now leading the investigation, and a spokesperson said Layton will be extradited to Florida.
