Inmate Who Enticed Child into Sexually Explicit Video From Behind Bars Sentenced to 28+ Years

A 26-year-old inmate who used a video-visitation kiosk to entice a teenager into making sexually explicit videos from behind bars was sentenced this week to more than 28 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Obadiah Fraser was indicted in September 2022 and pleaded guilty in May 2023 to production of child pornography. He was sentenced Wednesday to 340 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, who also ordered him to register as a sex offender.

“This defendant willfully exploited a minor by coercing the victim into producing sexually explicit material without any regard for the mental and physical anguish his offenses would cause,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge of HSI Dallas.  “I’m grateful for the collaborative efforts between HSI and our law enforcement partners in ensuring another child predator is brought to justice.”

While incarcerated in Dallas County Jail on an unrelated charge of possession of child pornography, Mr. Fraser used the jail’s video visitation kiosk to communicate with a 17-year-old girl.

Because the video visitation platform requires users to be 18 years of age or older, the child used Mr. Fraser’s cellmate’s wife’s account to communicate with him.

During their calls – which were monitored by a third-party company – Mr. Fraser instructed the girl to make sexually explicit videos of herself. When she hesitated, he yelled and cursed at her.

When Dallas County Jail officials confronted him about the videos, Mr. Fraser admitted to making them and said he knew the child was only 17.

Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and the full cooperation of Dallas County Jail. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Douglas and Camille Sparks (fmr.) prosecuted the case.

UPDATE: The United States Attorney's Office initially misidentified the technology Mr. Fraser used to communicate with the victim. He spoke to her via a video-visitation kiosk inside the jail, not via a jail-issued tablet.