Crime
Federal officials say Anthony Fowlkes dared one of his alleged victims to report him to police, telling her, “I don’t care nor am I scared.”
A Malden school employee was fired Tuesday after he was arrested on federal child pornography charges and accused of sexually extorting two teenagers in Michigan.
Federal officials arrested 40-year-old Anthony Fowlkes, a now-former AlphaBEST after-school program staffer, at his home in Malden Tuesday morning, officials said. He made an initial appearance at the federal courthouse in downtown Boston, where Magistrate Judge Jennifer Boal issued an order for his removal to Michigan, records show.
According to court documents, Fowlkes allegedly coerced a 16-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl into sending him nude photos of themselves. Federal officials say Fowlkes knew how old the teens were and even threatened to post their nude photos on social media if they cut contact with him and stopped providing explicit images.
Fowlkes first befriended the 15-year-old girl on the live video chat platform “Monkey” in July and they exchanged phone numbers, court documents state. When the teen sent him a photo of herself with a friend, Fowlkes allegedly asked the other girl to text him as well.
Authorities allege Fowlkes appeared to be grooming the teens to be his “submissives” in a “dominant and submissive” relationship. He allegedly sent them audio messages and several pictures of his penis, talked about having both girls live with him in Massachusetts, and tried to get one of the teens to send him money.
But when the 16-year-old refused to “submit” and cut contact, Fowlkes threatened to post nude images of both minors online, according to court documents. The 16-year-old threatened to report Fowlkes to the police if he continued to circulate her photos, allegedly prompting him to reply, “I DON’T GIVE A F— ABOUT THE COPS. I’M NOT SCARED. GO TO THEM RN, I F—ING DARE YOU.”
“Go ahead,” Fowlkes allegedly continued. “I don’t care nor am I scared.”
In subsequent texts, he allegedly indicated he had posted the teen’s nudes on Facebook. However, federal officials say a search of Fowlkes’s social media accounts did not turn up the images he claimed to have posted.
At one point in the exchange, Fowlkes allegedly threatened the girl, “Every insult you have for me results in me posting more.”
According to court documents, a search of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline turned up several tips that suggested Fowlkes previously solicited nude photos from minors or threatened to post their explicit images online if they did not comply with his demands.
Fowlkes now faces several charges, including sexual exploitation of a child, possession of child pornography, and interstate threats with intent to extort. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
Malden police said Fowlkes faces no charges in Massachusetts at this time. In a statement, Malden Superintendent of Schools Timothy Sippel said the district fired Fowlkes — who was also a former employee at the Linden School — given “the seriousness of the allegations.” Fowlkes no longer has access to any Malden Public Schools facilities, Sippel added.
“We will fully cooperate with federal, state and local officials in their investigation of this matter as needed, and they will continue to keep us informed,” Sippel said. “At this time we have no indication that the charges involved the Malden Public Schools in any way.”
He directed further questions and concerns to the Malden Police Department.
“We are aware of the impact this arrest and these allegations may have on our school community,” Sippel said. “We thank our community for their continued commitment to our students and our district. The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority.”
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