Michigan man accused of telling children to self-harm, draw symbols on body

JACKSON,Mich.–AMichiganmanisaccusedofcommunicatingwithteensinmultiplestatestoharmthemselvesorsendsexuallyexplicitimagesandvideos. JohnRichardEss,fromJackson,wasfirstchargedwithmultiplefeloniesafteraninvestigationinvolvingfivevictimsundertheageof18.Accordingtonewlyobtainedfederalcourtdocuments,morevictimscameforward. TheinvestigationbeganonMarch7,2025,whenaFloridamotherreportedtopolicethatshefoundsexuallyexplicitimagesofher16-year-oldchildonherchild’sphone. Accordingtocourtdocuments,theimagesweresharedthroughasocialmediaplatformwithapersonusingauniqueusername. AuthoritiesobtainedandexecutedasearchwarrantforthatsocialmediaaccountandidentifiedEssastheownerofit. Accordingtoinvestigators,childpornographywasfoundembeddedwithinthechatbetweenEssandthe16-year-old. CourtdocumentsnotedthatEssreceivedascreenshotfromtheteenonJuly14,2024,wheretheteenstated,“im15isthatokilolol?” Manallegedlytellsteentoself-harm Federaloffi