Man convicted of sending minors nude photos of himself through social media

A Palmetto man has been convicted of sending sexually explicit images of himself to young girls and soliciting them to have sex with him, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

Phillip Dorics was convicted after a jury trial last week on charges of soliciting a minor using electronic services or devices and 19 counts of transmission of material harmful to minors.

The charges stem from incidents between June 1, 2015, and Sept. 21, 2015, according to a news release. Dorics sent sexually explicit pictures to a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl, as well as an investigator posing as a 14-year-old girl.

Dorics, of Palmetto, was arrested by Bradenton police in June 2016 after detectives said he sent children nude photos of himself through social media applications, including Snapchat, according to Herald archives.

He first came under investigation in August 2015 after police received information he was trying to solicit minors for sex, Herald archives show.

According to the State Attorney’s Office, Dorics sent 34 images and videos to the investigator posing as the 14-year-old, and solicited her for sexual intercourse.

Dorics’ trial was held July 10 to July 12 in Manatee County.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 31. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 100 years. The State Attorney’s Office said it will seek a sentence of 25 years with a sex offender designation, according to the release.

This story was originally published July 17, 2017 at 12:28 PM with the headline "Man convicted of sending minors nude photos of himself through social media."