Virginia Man Sentenced to Serve 168 Months in Prison on Child Pornography Charges

WASHINGTON—An Orange County, Virginia man was sentenced today to serve 168 months in prison following his March 2011 guilty plea to child pornography charges that originated in three different federal districts.
The sentence was announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy of the Western District of Virginia, U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride of the Eastern District of Virginia, and U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida.
Anthony C. Jeffries was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Norman K. Moon in the Western District of Virginia. On March 28, 2011, Jeffries pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography on charges contained in an indictment filed in the Western District of Virginia and two separate one-count criminal informations originally filed in the Eastern District of Virginia and the Southern District of Florida, each charging him with distributing child pornography. Jeffries was sentenced to 168 months in prison for each count of distributing child pornography and 120 months in prison for possessing child pornography. The prison sentences for each count will be served concurrently. In addition to his prison term, Jeffries was sentenced to serve lifetime supervised release.
According to information presented in court, Jeffries assisted in running an online forum from his Orange County home that was dedicated to posting pictures and chatting about young girls. The defendant was responsible for one-fourth of the images available on the forum.
In February 2010, undercover FBI agents working in Richmond, Virginia and Miami logged onto a peer-to-peer file sharing network and downloaded numerous images of child pornography from Jeffries. In June 2010, a search warrant was obtained and computer equipment was seized from the defendant’s Virginia home. A forensic examination of that equipment revealed thousands of image files, including images of young children engaged in sexual acts with adults.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office; the FBI; the Charlottesville, Virginia Police Department; the University of Virginia Police Department; and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Healey and Trial Attorney Darcy Katzin with the Criminal Division’s CEOS are prosecuting the case for the Western District of Virginia. Elizabeth Wu is prosecuting the case for the Eastern District of Virginia.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Virginia Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

WASHINGTON—John Patrick Swain, 45, of Sterling, Virginia, was sentenced today to eight years in prison on federal charges of distribution and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.; Debra Evans Smith, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Swain pled guilty to the charges in September 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. Upon completion of his prison term, Swain will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for 25 years following his release from prison.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 27, 2012, Swain contacted a man he believed to be the father of a 12-year-old girl using a social network site. That man turned out to be an undercover officer with the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. Over the next few days, Swain engaged in online conversations with the undercover officer. During this period, Swain sent the undercover officer 13 images of child pornography, including videos of adult men engaged in sexual acts with children.
Upon execution of a search warrant on the defendant’s residence in Sterling, members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force recovered a desktop computer as well as various external storage devices containing numerous videos and images of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Acting Assistant Director in Charge Smith, and Chief Lanier praised the work of the MPD detectives and special agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who prosecuted the case.

Reynoldsburg Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing More Than 10,000 Images and 300 Videos of Child Pornography

COLUMBUS—Zdenek Hrouda, 37, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to possessing child pornography after investigators found more than 10,000 still images and 300 video files stored on three computers and two external hard drives in his house.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Edward J. Hanko, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Reynoldsburg Police Chief James Oneill; and Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott whose, office includes the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), announced the plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Michael Watson.
According to court testimony today by a Reynoldsburg Police officer on the ICAC task force, in June 2012 an ICAC investigator was patrolling the Internet and identified an IP address that was a download candidate for suspected child pornography. Officers searched his home on July 5, 2012, and found the computers.
When Hrouda learned he was under investigation, he fled back to his home country, the Czech Republic. He returned to the United States voluntarily in October 2012.
Possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and at least five years of supervised release. While on supervised release, he will also have to register as a sex offender anywhere he lives, works, or goes to school.
Stewart commended the investigation by the ICAC Task Force, the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah A. Solove, who represented the United States in the case.

El Paso Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Sexual Exploitation Charges

United States Attorney Robert Pitman and FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Morgan announced that in El Paso this morning, 47-year-old Joe Tapia, III, of El Paso, was sentenced to the statutory maximum of 30 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after pleading guilty in October to solicitation of material relating to the sexual exploitation of children.
By pleading guilty, the former Excel Learning Center (ELC) admissions service representative and local church youth minister admitted that he had sexually explicit instant messenger chats with multiple minors on both his work and home computers. Furthermore, Tapia admitted that he recorded video and still images of two children while they were changing clothes prior to a church performance and used those recordings to solicit other sexually explicit images of children.
Tapia has remained in custody since his arrest by special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in May 2012.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation together with the El Paso Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney J. Brandy Gardes prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Former Middle School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography Charge

DALLAS—Daniel Oberlender, 45, a former choir teacher at Cross Timbers Middle School in Grapevine, Texas, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to a criminal information charging one count of distribution of child pornography. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of not less than five years, or more than 20 years, in federal prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for June 20, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
Oberlender has been in federal custody since December 20, 2012, when he was arrested on a federal criminal complaint that was filed after law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence in Grapevine on December 18, 2012. According to documents filed in the case, Oberlender used his Apple Macbook computer to connect to the Internet and use Skype software to share a video file depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Specifically, according to the factual resume filed in the case, on August 5, 2012, Oberlender used Skype to communicate with a person known as “DJH.” During that communication, Oberlender permitted DJH to remotely view the entire contents of his computer screen. Oberlender then began playing a video file, viewable by DJH, that depicted an adult male and a minor male engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The minor male, whose eyes are shut during the entire video, appears to be approximately 5 or 6-years-old. DJH, who was located in Dallas, used Evaer software to capture and record the contents of Oberlender’s computer screen, to include the transmission of the video.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “Resources.”
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem is in charge of the prosecution.

http://fieldcases.blogspot.com/2013/01/watertown-man-sentenced-for-stealing.html

LUBBOCK, TX—Richard Mendoza, 22, of Lubbock, Texas, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 135 months in federal prison and a 15-year term of supervised release following his guilty plea in October 2012 to one count of receipt of child pornography. He has been in custody since his arrest in August 2012. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
According to documents filed in the case, in January 2012, while searching on the Internet for videos depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, Mendoza intentionally and knowingly downloaded a digital video file depicting a female child, under the age of 18, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This matter was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “Resources.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy.

Lusby Man Pleads Guilty to Possession and Distribution of Child Pornography

GREENBELT, MD—Shawn Fred Crawford, age 47, of Lusby, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession and distribution of child pornography.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to the plea agreement, on July 25, 2012, Crawford distributed six images and 16 videos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. After an investigation by the FBI, a search warrant was executed at Crawford’s home on September 18, 2012. A subsequent forensic examination of the computers and other digital media seized during the search revealed approximately 4,700 images and 1,100 videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including children under the age of 12.
As part of his plea agreement, Crawford will be required to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Crawford faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for distribution of child pornography; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography, each followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus has scheduled sentencing for May 14, 2013, at 9:00 a.m.
The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force (MCETF), with members from 10 state and federal law enforcement agencies. The task force coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit to identify missing and abused children.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristi N. O’Malley, who is prosecuting the case.

Missouri Man Sentenced for Production of Child Pornography

Gary A. McArthur, 50, of Arnold, Missouri, was sentenced on January 25, 2013, to a term of 180 months in prison on a one-count indictment charging him with production of child pornography, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
McArthur was also ordered to serve a term of lifetime supervised release following his imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Additionally, McArthur was fined $1,250 and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. McArthur pled guilty to the indictment on October 18, 2012, and has been detained (held without bond) since his arraignment on June 15, 2012.
Court documents establish that the violation occurred between September 2011 and March 31, 2012, when McArthur resided with a friend, R.H., and her minor relative in Madison County, Illinois. On March 31, 2012, R.H. reported to the Madison County Sheriff’s Department that she had discovered that McArthur had been engaged in a continuing sexual relationship with her 13-year old minor relative. In a recorded interview with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, McArthur admitted that he had been having sexual intercourse with the 13-year old minor for several months. McArthur is currently charged in the Madison County Circuit Court with four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse for those acts. Of course, a charge is not proof of guilt. McArthur is presumed innocent of the charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The federal charges came about when, after McArthur was arrested, a detective with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department who also serves as a special investigator with the FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force performed a forensic examination of McArthur’s cellular phone. It was discovered that on March 7, 2012, McArthur had taken a pornographic photograph of the victim depicting the minor’s nude genital area.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”
The case was investigated by the Madison County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ali Summers and Nathan Stump.

Alleged Reno Pimp Indicted on Federal Charges of Transporting 15-Year-Old Girl from California to Reno for Prostitution

RENO, NV—An alleged pimp from the Reno area has been indicted by the federal grand jury on a sex trafficking charge for transporting a 15-year-old girl from Bakersfield, California to Reno, Nevada, to work as a prostitute, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.
Vernon McCullum, III, aka “Fifth,” 20, of Reno, was indicted on Wednesday, January 23, 2013, and is charged with one count of illegal transportation of a minor for prostitution or other illegal sexual activity. If convicted, McCullum faces a minimum of 10 years to life in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. McCullum is scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate judge in Reno today at 3:00 p.m. for an arraignment and plea.
According to the indictment and criminal complaint, on January 10, 2013, the Bakersfield, California Police Department received a report of a missing 15-year-old girl and opened an investigation. The investigation revealed that an advertisement had been posted on the Internet website Myredbook.com stating that an individual using the name “Babyfaith” was available for prostitution services. The telephone number listed in the advertisement was that of the missing girl. The investigation further revealed that two days earlier, on January 8, 2013, in Bakersfield, the 15-year-old girl was introduced to McCullum by a female acquaintance who had been working for McCullum as a prostitute. On January 9, 2013, McCullum drove the 15-year-old and the other female to a hotel room in Reno and directed the female acquaintance to take nude pictures of the 15-year-old, which were then uploaded onto the Myredbook.com website. Following the posting of the advertisement on the website, the 15-year-old engaged in prostitution at McCullum’s direction and was required to provide proceeds of the prostitution activity to the female acquaintance who provided it to McCullum.
The case is being investigated by the Bakersfield Police Department and the Reno Police Department Street Enforcement Team, which includes the Sparks Police Department and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI, as part of their Innocence Lost Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carla B. Higginbotham.
An indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Final Hornbuckle Sister Sentenced for Child Sex Trafficking

SACRAMENTO, CA—Cherelle Elizabeth Hornbuckle, 26, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Morrison C. England, Jr. to seven and a half years in prison for participating in a sex trafficking venture, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
Cherelle Hornbuckle is the last defendant to be sentenced in this case. Co-defendants in the case included her sisters: Tynisha Hornbuckle, 24, was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison; Tamrell Hornbuckle, 26, was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison; and Latrelle Hornbuckle, 25, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison. Their mother Tammy Brown, 44, was sentenced to three years in prison.
According to court documents, starting in 2008, the defendants solicited clients for minor females. The sisters would drive the girls to meet the clients and then would pick them up at the conclusion. These encounters took place at motels or the homes of Tamrell, Cherelle, or Latrelle Hornbuckle or their mother’s house. The owner of the home got a cut.
In sentencing Cherelle Hornbuckle, Judge England said that the sentence was intended in to give her credit for her early plea in this case and to promote early guilty pleas from other defendants in future cases. In response to her argument at sentencing that her conduct was not as serious as her sisters’ because she “attempted to protect” the girls who worked for the Hornbuckle family and treated them like a member of the family, Judge England said, “[It is a] perversion of the term ‘family’ to get to the point where this happens.”
This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI’s Innocence Lost Task Force, a multi-jurisdictional task force of the FBI, Sacramento Police Officers and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Reardon prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “Resources” tab for information about Internet safety education.

East Moriches Man to be Arraigned Today on Charge of Child Pornography Possession

Federal agents and investigators with the Suffolk County Police Department’s Computer Crimes Squad arrested an East Moriches man this morning on the charge of possessing child pornography. The defendant, Jay Lockett Sears, is scheduled to be arraigned later today before United States District Magistrate Arlene R. Lindsay at the U.S. Courthouse, 100 Federal Plaza, Central Islip, New York.
The arrest was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; George Venizelos, Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), New York Field Office; and Edward Webber, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD).
According to court filings, which include an application for a search warrant of the defendant’s East Moriches apartment, Sears created hundreds of images of child pornography by taking photographs of children in public settings and then cutting and pasting the heads of the children onto images of adult bodies engaged in sexual activity. Some images included those in which Sears allegedly pasted his own facial images onto the bodies of other males so as to appear as if he were having sexual relations with children.
Sears came to the attention of the SCPD on January 11, 2013, after the discovery of numerous bags containing hundreds of child pornography images were found in trash removed from the defendant’s apartment. The images were discarded apparently in anticipation of Sears vacating his apartment.
“As alleged, Sears victimized countless children by using their innocent images to create child pornography. He then went so far as to use his own image to virtually join in the exploited scenarios he created. The sexual exploitation of children is one of our most important law enforcement priorities. Those who seek to harm children will be arrested and prosecuted,” stated United States Attorney Lynch.
Assistant Director in Charge Venizelos stated, “The altering of children’s photos to create child pornography victimizes those children to provide merchandise for a depraved market. We have an obligation and a commitment to protect children from exploitation.”
“Children are our most precious and vulnerable resource,” said Suffolk County Police Department Commissioner Webber. “Protecting children in our community is a high priority for our police department, and we will continue to work with other law enforcement agencies, as well as community leaders, to ensure their safety.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment.
Parents who believe that their children may have been the victims of persons involved in child pornography should contact the Suffolk County Computer Crimes Squad at (631) 852-6279 or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (631) 501-8600.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Allen Bode and Thomas Sullivan.
Defendant:
Jay Lockett
Age: 73

Reynoldsburg Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing More Than 10,000 Images and 300 Videos of Child Pornography

COLUMBUS—Zdenek Hrouda, 37, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to possessing child pornography after investigators found more than 10,000 still images and 300 video files stored on three computers and two external hard drives in his house.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Edward J. Hanko, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Reynoldsburg Police Chief James Oneill; and Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott whose, office includes the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), announced the plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Michael Watson.
According to court testimony today by a Reynoldsburg Police officer on the ICAC task force, in June 2012 an ICAC investigator was patrolling the Internet and identified an IP address that was a download candidate for suspected child pornography. Officers searched his home on July 5, 2012, and found the computers.
When Hrouda learned he was under investigation, he fled back to his home country, the Czech Republic. He returned to the United States voluntarily in October 2012.
Possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and at least five years of supervised release. While on supervised release, he will also have to register as a sex offender anywhere he lives, works, or goes to school.
Stewart commended the investigation by the ICAC Task Force, the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah A. Solove, who represented the United States in the case.

Rocklin Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

SACRAMENTO, CA—U.S. District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton sentenced John Patrick Frost Jr., 28, of Rocklin, today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for possessing of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Department of Justice Criminal Division, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Herbert M. Brown.
In October 2012, Frost pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. According to court documents, on March 12, 2009, a photo-sharing website reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Cybertipline that a user had posted child pornography to their page. Further investigation led to a residence in Placer County where Frost spent time. According to the plea agreement, Frost admitted that between March 1, 2009 and August 9, 2009, he knowingly possessed images of child pornography. Frost has two convictions in Placer County in 2003 and 2008 for possession of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Cyber Crimes Task Force and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) High Technology Investigative Unit. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Prince of the Eastern District of California and Trial Attorney Jeffrey H. Zeeman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

Child Predator is Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for His Massive Online Sextortion Scheme

MONTGOMERY, AL—Christopher Patrick Gunn, age 31, of Montgomery, Alabama, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller to 35 years in prison for producing child pornography in connection with an online sextortion scheme that spans the globe, U.S. Attorney George L. Beck, Jr. announced. Because there is no parole in the federal system, Gunn will serve a minimum of 30 years in the federal penitentiary.
Over a period of more than two years, Gunn repeatedly used computers, chat rooms, and other social media outlets to threaten hundreds of young girls, ages 9 to 16, located throughout the United States and internationally. Gunn used those threats to pressure a number of the children and teenagers to produce elicit and pornographic material of themselves. Gunn pled to charges brought in the Middle District of Alabama as well as the Northern District of Florida, and his plea included two counts of making child pornography, 15 counts of interstate extortion, and seven counts of Internet stalking.
The investigation of Gunn started in April 2011 by officers of the Prattville (Alabama) Police Department, after female students at Prattville Junior High School complained that someone using the screen name “Tyler Mielke” had been asking them for sexually explicit pictures over Facebook. Prattville investigators were able to trace an IP address for the bogus “Tyler Mielke” account back to Gunn’s residence in Montgomery and obtained and executed a state search warrant for his residence on April 14, 2011. The seized computers revealed evidence of the online sextortion plot under the account names “Tyler Mielke” and “Jason Lempke.”
Separate investigations conducted in September 2011 by the Biloxi (Mississippi) Police Department and the Livingston Parish (Louisiana) Sheriff’s Office revealed that someone in the Montgomery area had been committing the very same crimes against young girls in those areas using Facebook accounts with the names “C.J. Harper” and “Dalton Powers.”
Based upon the information obtained from these investigations, the FBI was able to determine that Gunn was the person behind all of the criminal conduct. On March 20, 2012, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at Gunn’s residence, where they discovered a cell phone and a laptop computer containing images and videos of child pornography.
Among the pictures that Gunn possessed were several of young girls posing in various states of undress and which appear to have been produced by the girls themselves using their cell phones cameras. These images confirmed the information that the FBI’s investigation had already uncovered—that for over a year Gunn had been repeatedly using fake Facebook profiles to obtain nude and partially nude photos and videos from young girls in numerous states, including Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
Gunn used two principal schemes to obtain photos of these young girls in various states of undress.
The first scheme—dubbed “The New Kid Ruse”—began sometime in 2009 and continued until at least August 2011. Under that scheme, Gunn contacted the minor victims by sending them a message over Facebook. He then pretended to be a new kid in town looking for friends. For this purpose, Gunn allegedly established and used a number of different online aliases, including Tyler Mielke, Jason Lempke, CJ Harper, Dalton Powers, Dalton Walthers, Daniel Applegate, and Daniel Rodgers. Once he had gained their trust through chatting, Gunn would ask the girls a series of personal questions, such as their bra size, their sexual history, intimate details about their bodies, and so on. When they had finished divulging that personal information, Gunn would then ask the girls to send him a topless photo. If they refused, he would threaten to e-mail their intimate conversation to the school principal or post it on Facebook for everyone to see.
The second scheme—dubbed “The Justin Bieber Ruse”—began sometime in November 2011, or possibly even earlier, and continued until shortly before Gunn was arrested in March of this year. Under that scheme, Gunn, pretending to be the internationally famed pop star, Justin Bieber, contacted the minor victims primarily by using Internet-based interactive video chat services, such as Omegle and Skype. Once he had convinced the minor victims that he was, in fact, Justin Bieber, Gunn would allegedly offer them free concert tickets, backstage passes, or some other fan-related benefits if they would agree to send him a webcam transmission or a photo of themselves with their breasts exposed.
Some of the minor victims of Gunn’s two extortion schemes complied to varying degrees with his demands; others did not. For those who complied, Gunn continued sending further demands and more threatening communications. For example, girls who provided a photo of themselves in nothing but underwear were extorted for topless photos. Those who provided topless photos were extorted for pictures of themselves completely naked. And for the minor victims who continued to accede to his demands, Gunn would require them to appear on webcam and perform sexually explicit acts on themselves. If any of his demands were not met, Gunn would threaten to withhold the benefits he had promised the girls and/or to injure the girls’ reputations by publishing their compromising images and videos over the Internet.
During the sentencing hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Morris described conversations that occurred over the computer between Gunn and his young victims. During those conversations, the victims begged and pleaded for Gunn to allow them to stop performing degrading, humiliating, and sexually explicit acts. Each time the victims wanted to stop, Gunn threatened to send the sexually explicit, nude, or degrading pictures to the victim’s friends and family. Mr. Morris further described one incident when the victim begged to stop because the act was hurting her. Gunn would not relent.
At the sentencing hearing, Mr. Morris read a transcript of a conversation between Gunn and a 13-year-old victim. In the transcript, the victim told Gunn that she did not want to take her shirt off in front of the webcam. Gunn replied that if she does not, he will push send, meaning send the prior pictures to the victim’s friends and family. The victim responded that she is only 13 years old. She further stated that she has “a life, please do not ruin it.” Gunn responded “I am sending it now since u won’t do what I want.” The victim then told Gunn that if he pushes send, she will kill herself. Gunn completely disregarded her cry for help and demanded that she take off her top. The victim complied.
Gunn asked the court for mercy, to which, Mr. Morris replied that “as a prosecutor, he believed in justice tempered with mercy. However, Gunn showed no mercy to these young victims and Gunn’s sentence should reflect such.” Judge Fuller agreed and gave Gunn the 420 month sentence.
“The actions of these child predators like Gunn will never be erased in the minds of the children that he victimized,” stated U.S. Attorney Beck. “Gunn not only preyed upon children in our community, but in communities across the United States. This long prison sentence serves as a warning to child predators that these crimes will be discovered, will be prosecuted and will be punished severely. I also want to especially thank the Prattville Police Department for initiating this case and for all of their hard work.”
“One of the most important things law enforcement does is protect our children’s innocence and wellbeing from Internet predators,” said Stephen Richardson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent in Charge, Mobile Division. “The success of this investigation is directly related to our law enforcement partner’s cooperation and commitment to our children.”
This case was investigated by the Montgomery Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, the Prattville (Alabama) Police Department, the Walton County (Florida) Sheriff’s Department, the Biloxi (Mississippi) Police Department, and the Livingston Parish (Louisiana) Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jared H. Morris.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc/resources.

Michigan Man Indicted on Charges of Cyberstalking and Production of Child Pornography

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has indicted James S. Allen, 36, of New Baltimore, Michigan, on 18 counts of cyberstalking and five counts of production of child pornography. The production of child pornography charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 30 years, and a $250,000 fine for each count. The cyberstalking charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between April and August 2012, the defendant utilized the Internet and text messages to stalk, communicate with, and threaten 18 female victims in the Western District of New York, many of them minors, in an effort to obtain pornographic pictures of them. The complaint filed earlier in the case alleges that Allen contacted the victims and told them that he found naked pictures of them on the Internet. The defendant then directed the victims to a specific website to view the pictures. In reality, the website was a front—or “phishing site”—by which the defendant sought to surreptitiously obtain the victim’s private e-mail address and password.
Once the targeted victim input the requested information, the victim’s personal e-mail addresses and passwords went straight to the defendant via the Internet. The defendant thereafter seized control of the victim’s e-mail accounts, contacted the victims, and threatened that if they did not engage in a Skype video chat with him, he would distribute naked photos of the victims over the Internet. Once a victim and the defendant logged onto Skype (the defendant utilized the screen name “shhh.shhh”), Allen demanded that the victims take their clothes off and engage in sexual conduct, with the further threat that naked pictures of them would be sent out to all of Western New York if the girl did not comply. As a result of the defendant’s repeated and sustained harassment of the victims, many victims suffered substantial emotional distress.
U.S. Attorney Hochul stated that “it is appropriate that the grand jury returned this case in January, which is National Stalking Awareness Month. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in late 2011, 6.6 million people were stalked in a 12-month period, and one in six women and one in 19 men were stalked at some point in their lifetimes. These statistics certainly demonstrate that anyone can be a victim of stalking, but that women and girls are three times more likely to be stalked than men. As shown by the present case, statistics also indicate that young adults have the highest rate of stalking victimization.”
U.S. Attorney Hochul continued, “Another message that the public needs to recognize is that most stalking cases involve some form of technology. According to available reports, more than three-quarters of stalking victims received unwanted phone calls, voice, and text messages, and one-third of victims were watched, followed, or tracked with a listening or other device. These findings underscore the critical need for the public to understand how stalkers and other criminals use technology.”
U.S. Attorney Hochul concluded, “The public, in particular parents, need to continue to be vigilant is the use of both computers and cellular telephones. While modern communication and technology provide benefits to many, in the hands of criminals, the same instruments sometimes lead to potentially dangerous, even deadly, situations. Keep these simple tips in mind: beware of strangers or individuals you don’t know who approach you online; do not post personal or identifying information online; and carefully monitor your accounts to prevent hacking or other related issues.”
The indictment is the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Christopher M. Piehota, Special Agent in Charge.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Honolulu FBI Arrests Pearl City Man on Child Pornography Charges

On Friday, January 18, 2013, the Honolulu FBI arrested Ray K. Yokoyama, age 52, of Pearl City, Hawaii, for violations of federal child pornography laws. He was charged with one count of child pornography production (maximum penalty 30 years in prison) and one count of child pornography possession (maximum penalty 20 years in prison). The arrest occurred at his home without incident Friday afternoon.
The defendant was arraigned in Honolulu U.S. District Court on Friday and ordered held until a detention hearing could take place. His detention hearing is scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday, January 24, 2013) at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang.
The public is to be reminded that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt, and all defendants are to be considered innocent unless or until proven guilty in court.

Previously Convicted Child Pornographer Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Otha Royal Palmer, age 58, of Hagerstown, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for possession of child pornography. Judge Bennett ordered that upon his release from prison, Palmer must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to the plea agreement, Palmer has two previous child pornography convictions, including a 2001 federal conviction for interstate transportation of child pornography, and was registered as a sex offender.
In the fall of 2011, law enforcement learned that Palmer was accessing and posting comments about child pornography, including his preference for 4- to 7-year-old girls, on an Internet website. On December 20, 2011, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Palmer’s residence and seized his desktop computer. A subsequent forensic examination of the computer revealed over 600 images of children, including children under the age of 12, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force (MCETF), with members from 10 state and federal law enforcement agencies. The task force coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit to identify missing and abused children.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and the Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force for its work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Reynolds and Michael C. Hanlon, who prosecuted the case.

En Fuego Ministry 'Apostle' Sentenced to Life for Child Sex Trafficking

ORLANDO—U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. today sentenced Luis E. Morales (58, Ormond Beach) to life in federal prison for child sex trafficking and transporting children across state lines to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Morales to pay more than $35,000 in restitution to the victims of the offenses and to forfeit his interest in the property located at 8 Crossings Trail in Ormond Beach.
Judge Dalton also sentenced Morales’ co-defendant, Rebeca Rivera (28, Hartford, Connecticut) today. Rivera was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for her role in aiding and abetting the sex trafficking of a child and the transportation of a child across state lines to engage in sexual activity. As part of her sentence, Rivera was ordered to pay $31,030 in restitution to the victim of her offenses, to serve 10 years of supervised release, and to register as a sex offender.
Morales and Rivera were convicted on November 5, 2012.
According to evidence presented at trial, Morales was a self-proclaimed “apostle” in a ministry that he founded called En Fuego for Jesus. Rivera was one of his “prophets” in the ministry. In November 2009, Morales transported a 12-year-old ministry member from Florida to Connecticut, knowing that the minor would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act. While in Connecticut, Rivera recruited, encouraged, and enticed the minor to engage in sex acts with Morales. Later in November 2009, Morales transported the minor from Connecticut to Florida with the intent to engage in sexual activity with the minor. In December 2010, Morales transported a 13-year-old member of the ministry from Arizona to Florida, and then to the Virgin Islands, with the intent to engage in sexual activity with that minor.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.
It is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”

Former New Jersey Teacher Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to Child Exploitation and Child Pornography Offenses

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that Evan Zauder, a former sixth-grade teacher at a private school in New Jersey, pled guilty in Manhattan federal court to charges of using the Internet to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and to receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography. Zauder pled guilty before United States District Court Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. His criminal conduct is not currently known to have involved any students at the school.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated, “Evan Zauder’s abuse and exploitation of minors was heinous criminal conduct perpetrated on some of the most vulnerable and powerless members of society. This office treats the protection of children as an extraordinarily serious responsibility, and as this case demonstrates, we will persist in our efforts to ensure that those who prey on minors are found and held accountable.”
According to the complaint, the superseding information, and statements made in court:
Between April and November 2011, Zauder used the Internet to entice a minor in New Jersey who was 14 to 15 years old at the time to engage in sexual activity and to attempt to entice the minor to do so a second time. Zauder also received and distributed files containing child pornography from his desktop computer between December 2010 and May 2011 and possessed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography on four devices that were seized from his Manhattan apartment in May 2012.
Zauder, 27, pled guilty to a superseding information charging him with one count of enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity; one count of transportation, receipt, and distribution of child pornography; and one count of possession of child pornography. He faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison on the enticement count; a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years on the transportation, receipt, and distribution count; and a maximum sentence of 10 years on the possession count. For each of the three counts in the superseding information, Zauder faces a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. He will be sentenced by Judge Kaplan on May 22, 2013, at 4:00 p.m.
Mr. Bharara praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for its outstanding work in the investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Monteleoni is in charge of the prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry A. Chernoff represented the government at today’s plea proceeding.
The FBI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (212) 384-1000. It is staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at (800) 843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.

Albuquerque Couple Faces Federal Child Pornography Charges

ALBUQUERQUE—Frederick Gonzales, 42, and his wife Carey Gonzales, 36, both of Albuquerque, New Mexico, were arrested on federal child pornography charges on January 18, 2013.
The couple made their initial appearances in federal court in Albuquerque this morning. They remain in custody pending detention hearings, which are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. tomorrow.
Frederick and Carey Gonzales previously were arrested on state child pornography charges on January 11, 2013.
At the time, Frederick Gonzales was the incoming president of Albuquerque’s Young America Football League (YAFL), and Carey Gonzales was employed as a kindergarten teacher’s aide by the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS).
Since then, YAFL has removed Frederick Gonzales from his position with the organization, and APS has fired Carey Gonzales.
Frederick and Carey Gonzales are charged in federal criminal complaints that were filed on January 18, 2013.
Frederick Gonzales is charged with distribution, receipt, and possession of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. If convicted of those charges, he faces a maximum penalty of not less than five years and not more than 20 years in prison.
Carey Gonzales is charged with possession of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment or 20 years of imprisonment if the child pornography depicts prepubescent children.
Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlyn E. Rees, and was investigated by the following members of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force: the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, the Albuquerque office of the FBI, and the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The case also was brought as part of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 64 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies associated with the ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.

Former Pennsylvania Football Coach Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography, Interstate Extortion, and Cyberstalking

SCRANTON, PA—Joseph J. Ostrowski, 29, of Wilkes-Barre, pleaded guilty today before senior U.S. District Court Judge Edwin M. Kosik to producing and attempting to produce child pornography, interstate extortion, and cyberstalking, announced U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Peter J. Smith.
The plea agreement calls for Ostrowski to be sentenced to 25 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. The court ordered a pre-sentence investigation to be completed after which a date for sentencing will be scheduled.
According to U.S. Attorney Peter J. Smith, a superseding information was filed in December 2012 charging that Ostrowski, a former football coach at Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre, persuaded and enticed, and attempted to persuade and entice, minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct, including live transmissions via webcam and used the Internet to extort and attempt to extort additional nude photographs, images, and live transmissions of sexual conduct from his victims.
Ostrowski was indicted by a federal grand jury in Scranton in May 2012 and taken into custody. He was also indicted for cyberstalking by a federal grand jury in the Western District of Michigan. That case was transferred to the Middle District of Pennsylvania for prosecution.
According to a summary of the government’s evidence presented at today’s hearing by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa, Ostrowski’s production and attempted production of child pornography, interstate extortion activities, and cyberstalking occurred during 2006 through May 2012 and involved victims in Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, California, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, Minnesota, Indiana, Alabama, and Maryland. Some victims were adults; some were minors; they included students who participated in athletic programs. Ostrowski admitted that he frequently posed as students, school alumni, and other persons and used Facebook, Skype, e-mail, instant messaging, and cellular text messaging to commit the crimes.
Ostrowski’s charges resulted from an investigation by the FBI in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Michigan and the Michigan State University Police.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”

Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Trafficking, Producing Child Pornography

KANSAS CITY, MO—Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court today to child sex trafficking and producing child pornography, which was discovered during an investigation into an extortion and blackmail scheme.
Corey M. McKinney, also known as “Chef FireFlame Corey,” 36, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays. McKinney’s plea came during the second day of his trial on the charges contained in an August 30, 2011, federal indictment.
By pleading guilty today, McKinney admitted that he was sexually active on numerous occasions with the child victim,  identified in court documents as “CV,” since she was 14 years old. McKinney, who was the legal guardian of CV, admitted that he used computers and video equipment to record sexual activity between himself and CV. McKinney also admitted that he caused CV to engage in prostitution as part of an extortion and blackmail scheme.
On March 24, 2011, McKinney was hiding in the bedroom closet while CV was having sex with a man identified in court documents as “John Doe.” John Doe had just met CV, whom he believed to be 17 years old, on Facebook the day before. McKinney secretly recorded the sexual encounter on his cell phone and on a nearby computer.
John Doe returned to the apartment the next day to have sex again. McKinney burst into the room, asking John Doe if he knew how much trouble he could get into because his sister was only 16 years old. John Doe did not know that the girl was actually 16 years old or that McKinney had recorded the earlier illicit encounter. He did not know that the 16-year-old girl was not actually McKinney’s sister but rather was a former neighbor that McKinney himself—a 34-year-old man at the time, a few years older than John Doe—had been exploiting sexually.
After demanding $500 in exchange for not exposing John Doe to his family, friends, employer, or the authorities, McKinney made John Doe go with him to a nearby ATM to get some form of this payment. John Doe was only able to pay $100 at that time, and McKinney demanded that he pay the balance in the next few days.
After this encounter, John Doe received a flurry of text messages from McKinney, who made threats and demanded money. McKinney claimed he sent the video file to a friend who worked at a local news agency. He also attempted to confront John Doe by arriving unannounced at his home. After numerous texts and an attempted in-face confrontation, John Doe approached the authorities and advised them of the extortion attempts. The text message threats from McKinney continued, and soon John Doe learned that McKinney was posting information about him and his wife on his Facebook page. Eventually, an exchange was arranged (through the direction of the Kansas City Police Department) to pay the remainder of the money in exchange for a USB drive with the video on it.
On April 7, 2011, McKinney was arrested at DeVry University in Kansas City, Missouri, (where he was a student) after he exchanged a USB drive containing the video for money that he had been demanding from John Doe. Evidence uncovered during the investigation included various videos and images constituting child pornography with McKinney engaged in sexual activity with the same child victim. When investigators searched the minor’s cell phone, they found several sexually explicit photos of McKinney and the minor, as well as sexually explicit photos of John Doe and the minor.
McKinney admitted that while he was incarcerated after his arrest he called the child victim dozens of times in repeated efforts to get her to recant her prior statements and testimony and persuade her to submit a statement on his behalf in the hopes of getting the charges against him dismissed.
Under federal statutes, McKinney is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $500,000 and an order of restitution. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick D. Daly and Brian P. Casey. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the FBI in conjunction with the Human Trafficking Rescue Project.
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available online at http://www.justice.gov/usao/mow/index.html.

Three Sentenced After Being Convicted of Carjacking and Kidnapping Three Children

MONTGOMERY, AL—Joshua Roland Fuller Gilley, 26, of Enterprise, Alabama; Westly Robert Rogers, 25, of Ozark, Alabama; and Melissa Lynn Mione McGee, 37, of Daleville, Alabama, have all been sentenced after pleading guilty to carjacking an Isuzu Rodeo in which three children, ages 2 ½ years, 1 ½ years, and 2 months old were riding in the backseat; and to kidnapping those same three young children, announced U.S. Attorney, George L. Beck, Jr.
Gilley was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller to 46 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to carjacking. Rogers was sentence by Judge Fuller to 32 months’ imprisonment after pleading to carjacking, and McGee was sentence by the same judge to 210 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to kidnapping.
Around May 21, 2011, the victims, J.G. and A.L., were first introduced to McGee by someone they had met over the Internet named “Nate.” McGee claimed to be a human resources representative from Memphis, Tennessee, and offered to help the couple find jobs and a residence near Ozark, Alabama. As a result of this offer, the victims traveled to Ozark. In Ozark, the victims and their three children stayed in a motel room at the Ozark Inn paid for by McGee. During their stay at the Ozark Inn, McGee personally met with the couple, provided them small amounts of money and food, and promised to get J.G. a job paying $17 an hour.
On Sunday, June 5, 2011, the victims and the three children drove to a rural area outside Brundidge, Alabama, to meet with McGee and take possession of a mobile home McGee had promised them. When they arrived, McGee introduced them to Rogers and Gilley, whom McGee referred to as “Mike” and “Nate.” Rogers and Gilley immediately assaulted the young couple and forcibly removed them from their Isuzu Rodeo. Rogers and Gilley then climbed into the Isuzu and drove off with the three children still in the back seat. McGee drove a white SUV ahead of Rogers and Gilley and later took custody of the 2-month-old baby, while the 2 ½-year-old and the 1 ½-year-old were dumped in the driveway of a residence in Black, Alabama. Upon finding the two older children, the occupants of the residence brought the children to a nearby hospital.
Less than 48 hours after the crime occurred, law enforcement officers were able to track down the baby to a private residence in Dothan, Alabama. The woman who lived there told authorities that she had agreed to watch the baby for McGee, who had claimed the stolen baby was her own child.
“These three defendants not only endangered these young children by kidnapping them from their mother, but they dumped the two older children in a driveway in rural Alabama, showing no concern for their welfare,” said U.S. Attorney, George L. Beck, Jr. “Their behavior was inexcusable, and they should spend substantial time in prison. We are proud of our judiciary in this case for sending a message that these crimes will not be tolerated.”
“The defendants’ predatory nature and their willingness to expose this family to such peril and harm is a serious criminal act which will not be tolerated by society,” stated Stephen E. Richardson, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mobile Division. “The FBI’s commitment to protect and ensure the safety of families and children is unwavering. We are pleased that these criminals face serious prison time.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is being assisted by the Dale County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, the Geneva County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, the Ozark Police Department, the Walton County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, the Dothan Police Department, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and other law enforcement partners. This case has been prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kent Brunson and Nathan Stump.

Hudson County Man Indicted for Distributing Images of Child Sexual Abuse Over the Internet

NEWARK—A Hudson County, New Jersey man was charged today in an indictment with one count each of possessing and distributing images of child sex abuse over the Internet, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Jonathan Martin, 23, of Jersey City, New Jersey, and Short Hills, New Jersey, was previously arrested on a complaint and is currently in federal custody.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
On August 7, 2012, special agents of the FBI executed a search warrant at Martin’s Jersey City residence and seized digital evidence containing more than 2,000 images depicting child sexual abuse, including prepubescent minors and portrayals of sadistic or masochistic conduct. The digital evidence seized included 50 files previously downloaded from Martin by law enforcement agents working in an undercover capacity on a publicly available peer-to-peer network.
On the distribution count, Martin faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division’s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge David Velazquez; the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Acting Police Director Robert Kakoleski; and Chief Thomas Comey with the investigation leading to today’s Indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.

California Gang Member Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Racketeering Offenses Related to Fatal Shooting of Three-Week-Old Infant

LOS ANGELES—A member of the 18th Street criminal street gang was sentenced to life in federal prison for his conviction on racketeering offenses arising out of the September 2007 shooting of a street vendor near MacArthur Park, California, that resulted in the murder of a 23-day-old infant.
Javier Perez, 35, received a life sentence from U.S. District Judge Dean D. Pregerson. There is no parole in the federal system.
Perez was one of four defendants—all of whom were members or associates of the Columbia Lil’ Cycos clique of the 18th Street gang (the CLCS organization)—who were found guilty of federal racketeering offenses last May.
The three other defendants found guilty after last May’s trial are: Eduardo Hernandez, 35; Vladimir Iraheta, 31; and Leonidas Iraheta, 31. Judge Pregerson is scheduled to sentence those defendants on January 24 and 25.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the CLCS organization used violence and intimidation to control narcotics distribution in an area adjoining MacArthur Park in the Westlake District of Los Angeles. Under the orders of the CLCS organization’s leadership, narcotics suppliers and street dealers paid “rent”—typically a percentage of proceeds from the sale of narcotics—in exchange for permission from the CLCS organization to sell narcotics in the organization’s territory. Those who paid rent received the exclusive authorization to sell narcotics in CLCS organization territory, as well as protection from rivals. Street vendors operating in CLCS organization territory also were required to pay “rent” to the organization in order to be allowed to sell their wares near MacArthur Park. Evidence presented at trial showed that the CLCS organization made tens of thousands of dollars a week through its collection of rent. The failure or refusal to pay rent and otherwise follow the organization’s rules would result in retribution, including acts of violence.
A street vendor who refused to make a $50 rent payment to the CLCS organization was targeted to be killed by members of the organization in a shooting on September 15, 2007. Although the man survived despite being shot four times, a 23-day-old infant sitting in a stroller next to the vendor was struck and killed.
Shortly after the failed attempt to murder the vendor and the resulting death of the child, CLCS organization leaders ordered the kidnapping and murder of the shooter in order to make amends with the Mexican Mafia. The shooter was thereafter taken to Mexico by Javier Perez—who only 10 days before had been released from prison on other charges—and other CLCS organization members, under the false premise that the shooter would hide out from the police there. Once in Mexico, the shooter was driven to a remote area, where he was strangled and his lifeless body was thrown over a cliff. Unbeknownst to the would-be killers, the shooter survived the attempt on his life. The CLCS organization associate who assisted Perez in strangling the shooter previously was convicted and sentenced to a life term of imprisonment.
The four convicted at trial were among 43 members and associates of the CLCS organization who were charged in a 2009 federal racketeering indictment that alleged acts of violence, narcotics distribution, money laundering, and various violent crimes in aid of racketeering. The charged defendants included local federal criminal defense attorney Isaac Guillen who laundered over $1.3 million in drug and extortion proceeds on behalf of the CLCS organization and Mexican Mafia member Francisco “Puppet” Martinez. Guillen is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Pregerson tomorrow.
Thirty-seven of the defendants named in the indictment have been convicted in federal court. The remaining six defendants are fugitives.
The CLCS racketeering case was investigated by the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department.

Woman Convicted on Child Exploitation Charges

CONCORD, NH—Lisa Biron, 43, of Manchester, was convicted today in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire on child exploitation charges, including transportation of a child for illegal sexual conduct and manufacturing and possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
The investigation began in September of last year when an 18-year-old male went to the Manchester Police and reported that he met the defendant, Lisa Biron, on Craigslist and that she had shown him videos of a minor child engaged in sexual activity. The investigation then revealed that in May 2012, the defendant took a minor child to Ontario, Canada, where she produced videos of that minor engaged in sexual activity. A search warrant was executed for Lisa Biron’s computer that revealed that she had produced additional images of child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Kacavas would like to thank the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office, the Manchester Police Department, the Strafford County House of Corrections, and the Ontario Provincial Police for their efforts in bringing this case to a successful prosecution.

Significant Federal Sentences Imposed in Child Pornography Cases

HAMMOND, IN—The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following:

• Blake Titus, 23, of West Lafayette, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 240 months’ imprisonment and lifetime supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of child pornography. According to the documents filed by the government in this case, law enforcement, using a peer-to-peer file sharing program via an Internet-connected computer, observed an individual sharing files that had titles indicative of child pornography. A subpoena served on the Internet Service Provider revealed that the IP address was assigned to Blake Titus. A search warrant was executed that revealed approximately 10 to 20 images and at least 100 videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on a laptop and an external hard drive belonging to Titus. This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Highland Police Department, the Kokomo City Police Department, the Brownsburg Police Department, and the Indiana State Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.
• Carl Agnew, 29, of West Lafayette, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 120 months’ imprisonment and 20 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of possession and distribution of child pornography. According to the documents filed by the government in this case, an agent member of the Cyber Crime Task Force located in Kansas City, Missouri, launched the peer-to-peer program that queried a network of users logged in at the time. One user who used the name “Brighteyedboy” was logged into the network. The agent proceeded to browse Brighteyedboy’s shared directories and previewed image files being shared by Brighteyedboy. The agent selected 235 files and found 196 of them had images depicting child pornography. An administrative subpoena served on the IP produced documentation identifying Agnew as the user. A search warrant at Agnew’s residence resulted in forensic examiners finding over 6,000 images and over 600 videos depicting child pornography on his computer equipment. This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kokomo Police Department, and the Indiana State Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Man Indicted for Attempting to Entice a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury in Buffalo has returned an indictment charging Robert P. Dombrowski, 50, of Buffalo, New York, with attempting to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward H. White, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on February 7, 2012, the defendant began online chats with someone he believed to be a minor. However, the individual that he was conversing with was an undercover FBI agent. On March 9, 2012, agents took Dombrowski into custody after he arrived at a restaurant with the intention to meet the minor he had been conversing with online.
The indictment is the culmination of an investigation on the part of agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Christopher M. Piehota, Special Agent in Charge, and the Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Pine Ridge Man Guilty of Sexually Abusing a Minor

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Benjamin Leonard, age 57, of Pine Ridge, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on December 21, 2012, and pled guilty to sexual abuse of a minor. The Magistrate Judge is expected to recommend Leonard’s plea be accepted by the District Court. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 15 years’ imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine.
Between June and August 2010, near Pine Ridge, Leonard engaged in a sexual act with a child under the age of 16. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins.
A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date was set for April 2, 2013. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending acceptance of this plea and sentencing.

United States Attorney Announces Gun, Child Pornography Charges Against Evansville Man

INDIANAPOLIS—Joseph H. Hogsett, the United States Attorney, announced today that Logan A. Wells, age 18, of Evansville, has been charged with possessing sexually explicit material involving minor children and with possessing a firearm as a drug abuser. This follows a collaborative investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cyber Crimes Task Force, along with the Evansville Police Department Narcotics Task Force.
“The charges against this defendant allege a lifestyle of lawlessness that has no place in the Indiana,” Hogsett said. “Guns, drugs, and the exploitation of children are all scourges on this community, and our office is dedicated to holding accountable those who engage or encourage such criminal acts.”
The formal charges allege that on June 26, 2012, Wells was found by Vanderburgh County law enforcement to be in possession of a substantial number of images that depicted minor children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. These materials were allegedly saved on an Apple MacBook in the defendant’s home. The documents also allege that Wells was using marijuana when he was found by law enforcement and was in possession of a .22 caliber semiautomatic pistol in violation of federal law.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger, who is prosecuting the case for the government, Wells faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine if he is found guilty on all counts. Under federal law, defendants must serve a minimum of 85 percent of their prison term inside a correctional facility. An initial hearing will be scheduled in Evansville before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual abuse.

Fort Lauderdale Man Sentenced to Life for Sex Trafficking of Minors

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Michael B. Steinbach, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; and Franklin C. Adderly, Chief of Police, Fort Lauderdale Police Department, announced yesterday’s sentencing of Van Lawson Williams, 49, of Fort Lauderdale, on charges of sex trafficking and attempted sex trafficking of minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1591(a). At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley sentenced Williams to life in prison.
On October 30, 2012, a jury found defendant Williams guilty of four counts of sex trafficking of minors and one count of attempted sex trafficking of minors. At trial, six victims, all runaways at the time they met Williams, testified that they worked or were recruited to work as prostitutes at Williams’ residence. According to the trial evidence, Williams sought out minor female runaways in his neighborhood and invited them to stay with him at his Fort Lauderdale residence, promising them food and shelter. Williams would then convince the girls to work as prostitutes, telling them that they could not stay for free but rather had to earn money to pay the bills. The victims testified that on most occasions, they were required to give Williams the money they collected for their prostitution services. Several of the victims testified that Williams provided them with illegal narcotics, including marijuana and crack cocaine, and that he engaged in or attempted to engage in sexual activity with them.
At the sentencing hearing, one of the victims read a letter she had written to the court, describing the shame she still feels every day when she looks in the mirror. Another victim, only 12 when she was prostituted by Williams, wrote a letter to the court in which she described the damage that she had suffered as a result of Williams’ actions and wrote of her dream to one day meet and marry a sweet man.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Dispoto and Corey Steinberg.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

Hudson County Teacher Charged with Distributing Images of Child Sexual Abuse Over the Internet

NEWARK—A permanent substitute teacher at a private school in Jersey City was arrested today after law enforcement officers discovered alleged child pornography on a computer at his residence, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Guy West, 44, of Jersey City, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of distributing images of child sex abuse over the Internet. West will make his initial court appearance tomorrow before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz in Newark federal court.
According to the criminal complaint;
On December 18, 2012, West distributed videos and images depicting child sexual abuse on the Internet via peer-to-peer file sharing software to which others had access in shared directories. Special agents of the FBI executed a search warrant today at West’s residence, seizing digital evidence that contained numerous images depicting child sexual abuse, including material that involved prepubescent minors and material that portrays sadistic or masochistic conduct. The digital evidence seized included three files previously downloaded from West by law enforcement agents working in an undercover capacity on the peer-to-peer network.
On the child pornography distribution count, West faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge David Velazquez in Newark, the Jersey City Police Department and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.

Germantown Man Sentenced for Receiving, Transporting, and Possessing Child Pornography

GREENBELT, MD—U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced Christopher Andrew Myers, age 36, of Germantown, Maryland, today to five years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for receiving, transporting, and possessing child pornography. Judge Titus ordered that upon his release from prison, Myers must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy; and Special Agent in Charge Robert Craig of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service-Mid-Atlantic Field Office.
According to evidence presented at the five-day trial, in 2006, Myers bought membership to a website that allowed him 30 days of access to over 10,000 images and videos of child pornography. There were 1,384 image files identical to images from the website on his laptop seized in 2010. On August 20, 2010, Myers made available over 3,100 files to share, many confirmed as being child pornography. An undercover officer downloaded three images of child pornography.
After executing a search warrant at Myers’ residence, Myers provided his laptop, which contained a child pornography collection organized into folders. Myers had 674 unique images and videos of child pornography, with his preference being infants and toddlers.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Montgomery County Police Department; Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office; and DCIS for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney LisaMarie Freitas, assigned from the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristi N. O’Malley, who prosecuted the case.

Wallingford Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography Charge

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Peter C. Johns, 39, of Wallingford, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 24, 2010, a detective assigned to the Richmond (Virginia) Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and acting in an undercover capacity logged into a publicly available Internet file sharing program and downloaded several images and videos of child pornography from a shared directory maintained by Johns.
On March 25, 2011, Johns was arrested at his residence. On that date, law enforcement agents also seized his computer and related components. Forensic analysis of the seized computer and components revealed that Johns used the Internet to trade thousands of images and videos of child pornography. Included in his collection of child pornography were images of children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct and images of children engaging in sadistic or masochistic conduct.
Judge Chatigny has scheduled sentencing for April 4, 2013, at which time Johns faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Johns has been released on bond under electronic monitoring by the U.S. Probation Office since shortly after his arrest.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The Connecticut State Police and Wallingford Police Department provided assistance to the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarala V. Nagala.
The Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which is housed at the main FBI Field Office in New Haven, investigates crimes against children occurring over the Internet, and provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. For more information about the task force, or to report child exploitation crimes, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

Priest Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Possessing Pornographic Images of Children

PITTSBURGH—A suspended Catholic priest was sentenced in federal court for violating federal child sexual exploitation laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Bartley Sorensen, 63, was sentenced by United States District Judge Alan N. Bloch to serve 97 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for receiving and possessing thousands of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Sorensen was also ordered to pay a $25,000 fine.
On December 9, 2011, Sorensen was a Catholic priest assigned to Saint John Fisher Parish in Churchill, Pennsylvania. On that day, a parish employee observed Sorensen viewing an image on the screen of his computer of a young boy wearing nothing but a shirt. The employee promptly reported what she observed to the Catholic Child Abuse Hotline. Search warrants were thereafter served at the rectory that resulted in the seizure of, among other things, over 100 CDs, most of which were loaded with thousands of images of children being sexually abused, including one that depicted a nude male child with a rope around his genitals and what appeared to be blood on his genitals.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Churchill Police Department for the successful investigation leading to the conviction and sentence in this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

Seminole County Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years for Possessing Child Pornography

ORLANDO—Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway sentenced Roberto J. Irizarry-Colon (28, Chuluota) yesterday to six-and-a-half years in federal prison for possessing child pornography. The court also ordered Irizarry-Colon to forfeit the computers and thumb drives that he used to possess the child pornography. As part of Irizarry-Colon’s sentence, the court also ordered him to serve a life term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Irizarry-Colon pleaded guilty on August 14, 2012.
According to court documents, Irizarry-Colon possessed and stored child pornography on his computers, thumb drives, and on several online storage servers. During the execution of a search warrant, law enforcement officers searched several thumb drives and two computers that Irizarry-Colon owned. The officers found thousands of pictures and 100 movies which recorded the sexual abuse of children less than 12 years old. During an interview, Irizarry-Colon admitted to possessing child pornography for the last 10 years.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”