An Illinois man allegedly extorted young girls – one as young as 9 or 10 years old — online into sending him nude photos, federal authorities allege.

Joshua P. Breckel, of Mascoutah, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in US District Court in East St. Louis to receiving child pornography and interstate transmission of a threat with the intent to extort, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

An investigation began after police in New Jersey contacted a detective in Mascoutah in May and claimed that Breckel had convinced a 15-year-old girl to send him a topless photo. Breckel, in return, promised to donate $2,500 to an online fundraiser, according to a criminal complaint filed by FBI Special Agent Tyrone Forte.

Breckel then upped the ante, asking the girl for more photos as well as videos after the teen complied with his demand. He then offered the girl money if she recruited some of her friends to send him photos of themselves as well, the complaint alleges.

But once the girl refused to meet Breckel’s demands, he threatened to share the topless photo with her friends and post the image on Facebook.

Investigators later made contact with Breckel through his mother. He then confessed on video to threatening the teen and told a New Jersey detective that he had other images of child pornography in his possession, according to Forte.

Images of other girls Breckel said he “had met online and requested photos from” were later found in his possession, including one who looked to be as young as 9 or 10 years old, according to the complaint.

Breckel was apparently sharing the images on the Kik messaging app, Forte alleged.

A federal judge who ordered Breckel held behind bars until trial cited another accusation that Breckel raped a 9-year-old and had extorted up to 20 juveniles to obtain child pornography.

Messages seeking additional comment from the Department of Justice on Wednesday were not immediately returned. An attorney for Breckel could not be reached for comment, the Post-Dispatch reports.