Man sentenced for sexually exploiting teen, making her carve his name into her skin

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A San Diego man has been sentenced to more than 21 years in prison for sexually exploiting a teenage girl, prosecutors said.

According to the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of California, Eric Jin, 31, will serve prison time for ordering a 14-year-old girl to produce child sex abuse material.

Jin was indicted on May 14, 2024, and pleaded guilty in October of that year. He admitted to persuading the girl to send him sexually explicit photos of herself in December 2022 and February 2023.

A photo taken in February 2023 included the girl’s leg in which Jin’s first name, “Eric,” had been carved into her skin with a knife at his direction, prosecutors said.

Jin also admitted that he possessed and sent pictures of other minors engaged in sexually explicit activity to the girl via his cell phone.

“Mr. Jin managed to exploit a vulnerable child despite the parents’ diligent efforts to protect her,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon in a statement. “This office will do everything legally possible to achieve justice for children and hold predators like the defendant accountable.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation advises parents to educate themselves about the websites, software, games and apps that their children use, and engage in open conversations about online safety with their children. Any inappropriate contact between an adult and children should be reported to law enforcement.

To contact the FBI, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.