Indiana man sentenced to 40 years for exploiting children via Instagram, Snapchat and X

The victims were as young as 12 years old, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. GREENFIELD, Ind. — An Indiana man was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release for exploiting children as young as twelve years old, using social media. Bobby Cyprus Linhart, 24, of Greenfield, Ind., pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material to a minor, and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. Linhart was also ordered to pay $68,000 in restitution to the victims. Between April 2023 and March 2024, Linhart repeatedly targeted minors between the ages of 12 and 15 through social media platforms, such as, Instagram, Telegram, Snapchat, and X, according to court documents. Using the username “maps.syb,” he contacted at least six identified minor victims and attempted to reach additional children. Linhart employed grooming tactics such as feigning interest in the minors’ activities, complimenting their appearance, lying about his age and offering narcotics in exchange for sexual acts, according to a DOJ news release. Linhart
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