A Bennington father’s report to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office led investigators to a Texas man accused of sexually exploiting more than 50 children across the country, including three from the Omaha metro area, according to a press release issued by Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
A report involving a 12-year-old Bennington girl helped uncover a nationwide online child exploitation case that authorities say involved more than 50 victims across the United States.
According to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, investigators began looking into the case in March 2026 after receiving a report that the girl may have been sending sexually explicit videos to an unknown individual.
The investigation identified Jaden J. Blake, 25, of Abilene, Texas, as the person responsible for sexually exploiting the girl online. A Douglas County investigator assigned to the FBI Omaha Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force led the follow-up investigation, with assistance from an FBI agent.
Using information from a law enforcement database maintained by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, investigators identified a second victim, a 13-year-old girl who also lived in Douglas County. A third victim was identified in Bellevue.
On March 25, members of the FBI Omaha task force, with assistance from FBI Dallas, executed a search warrant at Blake’s residence in Abilene. Investigators seized multiple electronic devices and subsequently discovered evidence involving more than 50 children throughout the country, ranging in age from infancy to 17 years old, whom Blake had sexually exploited online.
According to a post from the Omaha Police Officers Association, Blake allegedly posed as a 15-year-old boy on social media to gain children’s trust before threatening to distribute explicit videos unless they sent additional material.
The sheriff’s office also reported that Blake had a prior criminal history in Texas. In 2019, he was convicted of injury to a child stemming from a second-degree sexual assault charge. He was also convicted that year of cruelty to livestock in a case involving a chicken that was doused in accelerant and set on fire.
Blake has been detained in a Texas correctional facility since March 25, pending federal charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The Omaha Police Officers Association reported that he has pleaded guilty to eight federal charges and faces up to 240 years in prison if his sentences are served consecutively.
Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson praised the investigators whose work helped identify victims across multiple jurisdictions.
“I am incredibly proud of the amazing work that our child exploitation investigators perform day in and day out. Through their efforts, two Douglas County victims, another in Sarpy County, and at least an additional 50 children across the country are now safe and will see justice served in their cases,” Hanson said.
The sheriff’s office thanked its partners at FBI Omaha and the Bellevue Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
The case serves as a reminder for families to discuss online safety with children, including the risks of interacting with strangers on social media, sharing private images and responding to threats or demands made online.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to maintain open conversations with children about their online interactions and to report suspected exploitation to law enforcement or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
