Federal officials have arrested and charged a Minnesota man with luring girls as young as 11 into sending him sexually explicit images and sexually assaulting at least one of them.

Caleb V. McLaughlin, 26, of Pine City, was charged last week in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis with soliciting, producing, receiving, and distributing images of child pornography, and enticing a child to engage in illegal sexual activity.

McLaughlin appeared in court Tuesday and remains jailed without bond ahead of his next court appearance, which has yet to be scheduled. A message has been left with his attorney seeking a response to the allegations.

According to prosecutors:

Since at least January 2019, McLaughlin created numerous social media accounts and apps to solicit and direct minor girls in Minnesota, ages 11 to 16 years old, to produce sexually explicit images and videos to send to him.

He used various aliases and Snapchat IDs including "Jake Benson," "Lift11" or "Tech4cm," in his scheme, and at times purported to be 17 years old to prey on the girls.

McLaughlin also would offer the girls drugs, alcohol, cash or gift cards in exchange for sex.

One of the counts against him accuses him of persuading a girl in Ramsey County into committing sex acts over a six-month period last year.

He's also accused of recording himself sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl on Thanksgiving Day last year and then distributing the video for others to see.

"To date, law enforcement has identified several minor victims and is actively attempting to confirm the identity of many others," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement.

Tips about others allegedly victimized by McLaughlin are being received by the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.