Former Reston Man Gets Federal Prison Sentence For Exploiting Children

RESTON, VA — A former Reston resident who used Snapchat to sexually exploit two 12-year-old girls in Southwest Virginia was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia.

Justin Steven Boileau, 31, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to two counts of sexual exploitation of children. Federal authorities said investigators also confirmed that Boileau persuaded at least nine additional minors in other jurisdictions to produce child sexual abuse material.

Boileau was living in Reston when he began communicating with one of the victims in fall 2023, according to federal court documents. Investigators later traced his online activity to an apartment in Reston and a residence in Merritt Island, Florida, where he was arrested in December 2024.

Reston Apartment Linked To Investigation

According to a criminal complaint filed Dec. 4, 2024, in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, Boileau used a Snapchat account with the username "kicksandcaviar" to communicate with underage girls.

The investigation began after the Russell County Sheriff's Office contacted the FBI in June 2024 about a girl who had communicated with the account between fall 2023 and April 2024.

Federal investigators said Boileau represented himself online as a 28-year-old hockey player named "Josh" while communicating with the girl, who lived in Russell County.

The conversations became sexual in nature, and Boileau persuaded the girl to produce and send sexually explicit images and videos, according to prosecutors.

Investigators identified a second 12-year-old girl from Russell County who also communicated with Boileau through Snapchat in early 2024. Prosecutors said he requested sexually explicit images from her and knew both girls were minors.

A search of the Snapchat account revealed communications with multiple other accounts whose users identified themselves as underage girls, according to an FBI affidavit.

Investigators linked the Snapchat account to Boileau through an associated email address, telephone records and internet service records.

The affidavit identified an apartment at 1897 Oracle Way in Reston as Boileau's former residence. Investigators determined that the Snapchat account had accessed the internet through a connection associated with the Reston apartment in March 2024.

Boileau moved out of the apartment in April 2024 and relocated to Merritt Island, Florida, according to the court records.

FBI Arrested Boileau In Florida

On Dec. 4, 2024, FBI agents executed a search warrant at a residence in Merritt Island with assistance from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office SWAT team.

According to the FBI affidavit, Boileau was inside a bedroom when officers entered the residence. He was holding what initially appeared to be a firearm but was subsequently identified as an airsoft gun.

Investigators recovered an iPhone belonging to Boileau. An examination of the device showed that Snapchat had been deleted, although records indicated the application had been accessed around the time officers entered the residence, according to the affidavit.

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Investigators also recovered evidence connecting Boileau's phone to the Snapchat account and child sexual abuse material, the affidavit said.

A federal criminal complaint was filed Dec. 4, 2024, and a grand jury returned an indictment Dec. 17, 2024.

A superseding indictment followed in January 2026. Boileau entered his guilty plea Feb. 11, 2026, according to the federal court docket.

Defense Sought Shorter Prison Sentence

In an Oct. 29 sentencing memorandum, Boileau's attorney, Sheila Moheb, requested a 15-year prison sentence, arguing that his mental health history, substance abuse and efforts toward rehabilitation warranted a sentence below the federal sentencing guidelines.

The defense memorandum stated that Boileau graduated summa cum laude from George Mason University with a degree in finance and worked as a financial risk analyst for Freddie Mac.

His attorney argued that his mental health deteriorated after he began experiencing workplace stress and was prescribed medication for anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

The defense also attributed his worsening substance abuse and compulsive online behavior to that period.

Boileau's attorney maintained that he had accepted responsibility for his conduct and participated in treatment programs while incarcerated.

The memorandum included letters from relatives and acquaintances asking the court to consider his background and potential for rehabilitation.

The court ultimately imposed a 25-year federal prison sentence.

Federal Prosecutors Cite Online Threats To Children

"Protecting children from online threats is a clear prosecution priority in the Western District of Virginia," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert N. Tracci said in a statement Wednesday.

"We will continue to work with our partners at the FBI, as well as state and local law enforcement, to seek accountability for online sexual predators," Tracci said.

The FBI and Russell County Sheriff's Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Macon prosecuted it.

The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Justice Department initiative established in 2006 to combat the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.

The case was prosecuted in the Abingdon Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

The Justice Department announced the sentence on Wednesday.