Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 24, 2024
Snapchat Sex Offender Receives Prison Sentence
A Phoenix, Arizona man will serve prison time for sex crimes involving underage victims.
Nathen M. McPeak, 20, of Phoenix, Arizona, appeared in Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas on October 21.
McPeak lived in Zanesville while committing the crimes against underage victims. He moved to Phoenix but was required to return to Ohio to face charges.
In September, McPeak pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and tampering with evidence.
In another separate indictment, he pleaded guilty to felony dissemination of matter harmful to juveniles, felony pandering obscenity involving a minor, and felony gross sexual imposition involving yet a separate child.
McPeak will have to register as a sex offender for 25 years.
The Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office had argued McPeak should serve a prison sentence between 8 and 12 years, but Judge Kelly Cottrill instead imposed a four-year sentence.
The maximum sentence McPeak faced was 16 years.
McPeak met the first underage victim over Snapchat, a messaging and social-media phone application. Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office detectives discovered a second underage victim while investigating the first crime.
In May 2024, McPeak used Snapchat to talk to the first victim. He sent her sexually explicit photographs, and the minor child sent him similar photographs.
They later met in person, and McPeak had sex with the minor.
McPeak met another underage victim on Snapchat, and he sent her sexually explicit photographs as well.
They also ended up meeting in person, and McPeak touched the second victim sexually.
Muskingum County Prosecuting Attorney Ron Welch says judges are the ones who set punishments.
“We felt that the sentence we requested was both tough and fair,” Prosecutor Welch said. “Ultimately, it is the judge who determines the punishment for the defendant.”
Prosecutor Welch says justice was still obtained for the victims, even if the punishment was less than what was requested.
“Our goal is to put victims in the best position possible to obtain justice and we felt we accomplished that in this case, even though the punishment was less than we had requested,” Prosecutor Welch said.
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