US airman accused of coercing 9-year-old into sharing explicit images

A U.S. airman, David Ibarra, 31, has been charged with coercing a 9-year-old girl into sharing sexually explicit images after he pretended to be a 13-year-old boy during interactions on TikTok and the gaming platform Roblox. Prosecutors stated that Ibarra was arraigned in a New York federal court following his arrest in February in Anchorage, Alaska, where he was on active duty in the Air Force.

Ibarra, serving as a Senior Airman in air transportation management, allegedly met the girl online in August and persuaded her to communicate through Roblox under the assumption that he was a young boy living in Texas. He allegedly encouraged her to send explicit images and videos, compensating her with $191 through 17 transactions via Apple Pay.

The girl's mother discovered the messages and, posing as an older sister, gathered more information. In her interactions with Ibarra, she received a selfie that partially revealed his face, which assisted investigators in confirming his identity through his iCloud account and phone number.

During questioning, Ibarra reportedly admitted to paying the girl for the images, believing she was 12 years old. Prosecutors claim he also coerced other minors into sending explicit content.

Since his arrest, Ibarra has been placed on unpaid status within the Air Force. The specifics of any additional military discipline he may face remain unclear.