Christopher M. Horton, 20, of Highland, Illinois, pled guilty today in the United States District Court to an indictment charging him with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of attempt sexual exploitation of a minor, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.
Documents filed in U.S. District Court establish that while employed as a martial arts instructor at a studio in Belleville, Illinois, Horton sexually abused three students between the ages of 6 and 10 years and video-recorded these acts using his Apple iPhone. Horton also attempted to engage a fourth minor in sexually explicit conduct for the purposes of producing a recording of the conduct. Approximately 57 video files containing child pornography were recovered from Horton’s cellular phone, which were created between the dates of May 1, 2012, and February 9, 2013. During an interview with law enforcement, Horton confessed to sexually abusing the minors and to having produced video recordings of the abuse using his cellular telephone.
Horton is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2014, at which time he faces a term in prison of not less than 15 years but not more than 30 years on each count, a fine up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not less than five years, up to and including, a lifetime of supervision once he is released.
The case was investigated by the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Metro East Cyber Crimes and Analysis Task Force, the Highland (Illinois) Police Department, and the Belleville (Illinois) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ali Summers.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Attica Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charge
BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Paul J. Havlen, Jr., 48 of Attica, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara, to attempting to receive child pornography.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen A. Lynch and Paul J. Campana, who are handling the case, stated the defendant posted an ad on Craigslist seeking a young man who was interested in smoking marijuana and engaging in sexual activities. Between October 26, 2011 and December 19, 2011, Havlen engaged in graphic e-mail and text exchanges with a person he believed to be a 15-year-old boy. During those chats, the defendant asked the 15-year-old for pictures and made arrangements to meet him at a park in Attica. The individual that Havlen was actually chatting with was an undercover police officer, and the defendant was arrested after he drove to the area of the park on December 19, 2011.
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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Brian P. Boetig, Special Agent in Charge, and the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Acting Sheriff Gregory J. Rudolph.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen A. Lynch and Paul J. Campana, who are handling the case, stated the defendant posted an ad on Craigslist seeking a young man who was interested in smoking marijuana and engaging in sexual activities. Between October 26, 2011 and December 19, 2011, Havlen engaged in graphic e-mail and text exchanges with a person he believed to be a 15-year-old boy. During those chats, the defendant asked the 15-year-old for pictures and made arrangements to meet him at a park in Attica. The individual that Havlen was actually chatting with was an undercover police officer, and the defendant was arrested after he drove to the area of the park on December 19, 2011.
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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Brian P. Boetig, Special Agent in Charge, and the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Acting Sheriff Gregory J. Rudolph.
Former Hudson County Teacher Pleads Guilty to Distributing Images of Child Sexual Abuse Over the Internet
TRENTON, NJ—A former substitute teacher at a private school in Jersey City, New Jersey, today admitted to distributing images of child sexual abuse over the Internet, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Guy West, 45, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography. West was working as a permanent substitute teacher who regularly taught and supervised children between the ages of 2 and 14 at the time of his January 2013 arrest.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made during West’s guilty plea proceeding:
West admitted that on December 18, 2012, he made images and videos of child pornography available that were stored on his home computer for others to download via a peer-to-peer file-sharing network. On that date, an undercover law enforcement agent successfully downloaded 120 images and 24 videos of child sexual abuse from West via the file-sharing network.
As part of his guilty plea, West agreed to forfeit the computers and computer accessories he used to commit the offense.
The count of distributing child pornography to which West pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for February 4, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI Newark Division’s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark; officers of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Robert Cowan; and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Gaetano T. Gregory with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Nace Naumoski Esq., Roseland, N.J.
Guy West, 45, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography. West was working as a permanent substitute teacher who regularly taught and supervised children between the ages of 2 and 14 at the time of his January 2013 arrest.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made during West’s guilty plea proceeding:
West admitted that on December 18, 2012, he made images and videos of child pornography available that were stored on his home computer for others to download via a peer-to-peer file-sharing network. On that date, an undercover law enforcement agent successfully downloaded 120 images and 24 videos of child sexual abuse from West via the file-sharing network.
As part of his guilty plea, West agreed to forfeit the computers and computer accessories he used to commit the offense.
The count of distributing child pornography to which West pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for February 4, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI Newark Division’s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark; officers of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Robert Cowan; and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Gaetano T. Gregory with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Nace Naumoski Esq., Roseland, N.J.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Former School Employee Sentenced to 20 Years for Child Sexual Exploitation
SPRINGFIELD, MO—Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former employee of the Joplin, Missouri school district, was sentenced in federal court today for sexually exploiting several child victims.
Ronny Justin Myers, 35, of Joplin, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court granted the government’s motion for an upward variance and sentenced Myers to a longer prison term than was recommended under the federal sentencing guidelines (151 to 188 months). Following his prison term, Myers will be on supervised release for the rest of his life. The court also ordered Myers to pay $5,000 in restitution to a 14-year-old victim (identified in court documents as “C.A.”).
On May 13, 2013, Myers pleaded guilty to transferring obscene material to a minor and to enticing a minor for criminal sexual activity. At the time of his arrest, Myers had been employed as an assistant network systems administrator for the Joplin school district since December 2005.
According to court documents, Myers contacted C.A. via Facebook in November 2012. This contact prompted C.A. to disclose to a school counselor that she had been repeatedly sexually molested by Myers when she was between the ages of 8 and 12. A law enforcement officer assumed C.A.’s identity and began communicating with Myers. These Internet exchanges became very graphic and Myers sent obscene images to C.A.
On February 15, 2013, Myers attempted to entice C.A. to meet him in order to engage in sexual activity during his lunch hour from work. Myers drove to the Joplin mall to pick up C.A. but was met by law enforcement officers who were waiting for him. Myers avoided capture and led police on a high-speed car chase through the city of Joplin before being arrested.
During an interview with law enforcement officers, Myers admitted that he had sexually molested three young girls (ages 6, 9, and 11). He also admitted that he secretly recorded a 17-year-old engaging in sexual activity.
Myers also told law enforcement officers that he secretly stored child pornography on his computer. He stated that he had approximately 10 child pornography images of Joplin school district students, four of whom have been identified and range in age from 15 to 16 years old. Myers discovered those images when he accessed the students’ laptop computers.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abram McGull, II. It was investigated by Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Baxter (Kansas) Police Department, and the FBI.
Ronny Justin Myers, 35, of Joplin, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court granted the government’s motion for an upward variance and sentenced Myers to a longer prison term than was recommended under the federal sentencing guidelines (151 to 188 months). Following his prison term, Myers will be on supervised release for the rest of his life. The court also ordered Myers to pay $5,000 in restitution to a 14-year-old victim (identified in court documents as “C.A.”).
On May 13, 2013, Myers pleaded guilty to transferring obscene material to a minor and to enticing a minor for criminal sexual activity. At the time of his arrest, Myers had been employed as an assistant network systems administrator for the Joplin school district since December 2005.
According to court documents, Myers contacted C.A. via Facebook in November 2012. This contact prompted C.A. to disclose to a school counselor that she had been repeatedly sexually molested by Myers when she was between the ages of 8 and 12. A law enforcement officer assumed C.A.’s identity and began communicating with Myers. These Internet exchanges became very graphic and Myers sent obscene images to C.A.
On February 15, 2013, Myers attempted to entice C.A. to meet him in order to engage in sexual activity during his lunch hour from work. Myers drove to the Joplin mall to pick up C.A. but was met by law enforcement officers who were waiting for him. Myers avoided capture and led police on a high-speed car chase through the city of Joplin before being arrested.
During an interview with law enforcement officers, Myers admitted that he had sexually molested three young girls (ages 6, 9, and 11). He also admitted that he secretly recorded a 17-year-old engaging in sexual activity.
Myers also told law enforcement officers that he secretly stored child pornography on his computer. He stated that he had approximately 10 child pornography images of Joplin school district students, four of whom have been identified and range in age from 15 to 16 years old. Myers discovered those images when he accessed the students’ laptop computers.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abram McGull, II. It was investigated by Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Baxter (Kansas) Police Department, and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
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 tab “resources.”
FBI Arrests Chicago Man on Child Pornography Charge
CHICAGO—A 24-year-old Chicago man was arrested on a federal charge of possession of child pornography following the execution of a search warrant that resulted in the discovery of alleged child pornography images on a computer found at his residence. The arrest and charge were announced today by Robert J. Shields, Jr., Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
Devin Jones, of 1810 West Jackson, was taken into custody without incident yesterday by special agents and investigators assigned to the Chicago FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. Jones was charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one count of possession of child pornography, which is a felony offense. He appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael T. Mason and was ordered held until his next court appearance, which is scheduled for Monday, October 28, 2013.
According to the complaint, another individual under investigation gave permission to an FBI agent to access an e-mail account used by that individual, and the agent noted an exchange of six e-mails with another e-mail account, kingexcellence@gmail.com, in which child pornography photos and videos were exchanged. The investigation led to a court-authorized review of the kingexcellence@gmail.com e-mail account, and according to the complaint, agents determined that approximately 85 percent of the e-mails between the kingexcellence@gmail.com account and other e-mail accounts concerned the exchange of child pornographic photographs. A series of investigative steps led to the identification of Jones as the user of the kingexcellence@gmail.com account and to the execution of the federal search warrant at his residence. At the residence, the FBI recovered a laptop computer containing a number of images allegedly depicting child pornography.
If convicted of the charge filed against him, Jones faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He also faces a maximum fine of $250,000.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force is part of a nationwide effort known as the Innocence Lost National Initiative targeting those involved in the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the United States. In Chicago, the CETF is composed of FBI special agents and officers and investigators from the Chicago Police Department, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Devin Jones, of 1810 West Jackson, was taken into custody without incident yesterday by special agents and investigators assigned to the Chicago FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. Jones was charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one count of possession of child pornography, which is a felony offense. He appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael T. Mason and was ordered held until his next court appearance, which is scheduled for Monday, October 28, 2013.
According to the complaint, another individual under investigation gave permission to an FBI agent to access an e-mail account used by that individual, and the agent noted an exchange of six e-mails with another e-mail account, kingexcellence@gmail.com, in which child pornography photos and videos were exchanged. The investigation led to a court-authorized review of the kingexcellence@gmail.com e-mail account, and according to the complaint, agents determined that approximately 85 percent of the e-mails between the kingexcellence@gmail.com account and other e-mail accounts concerned the exchange of child pornographic photographs. A series of investigative steps led to the identification of Jones as the user of the kingexcellence@gmail.com account and to the execution of the federal search warrant at his residence. At the residence, the FBI recovered a laptop computer containing a number of images allegedly depicting child pornography.
If convicted of the charge filed against him, Jones faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He also faces a maximum fine of $250,000.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force is part of a nationwide effort known as the Innocence Lost National Initiative targeting those involved in the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the United States. In Chicago, the CETF is composed of FBI special agents and officers and investigators from the Chicago Police Department, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
North Tonawanda Man Indicted on Child Pornography Charges
BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a three-count indictment charging Thomas A. Sparks, 21, of North Tonawanda, New York, with receipt and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on June 25, 2013, the defendant knowingly received 94 images of child pornography. Sparks also possessed a SanDisk Cruzer Glide 4GB USB flash drive that contained images of child pornography. Some of these images depicted a prepubescent minor and a minor under 12 years old.
The indictment is the culmination of an investigation on the part of agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Brian P. Boetig, 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on June 25, 2013, the defendant knowingly received 94 images of child pornography. Sparks also possessed a SanDisk Cruzer Glide 4GB USB flash drive that contained images of child pornography. Some of these images depicted a prepubescent minor and a minor under 12 years old.
The indictment is the culmination of an investigation on the part of agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Brian P. Boetig, 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.
Ocean County Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Distributing Child Pornography
TRENTON, NJ—An Ocean County, New Jersey man was sentenced today to 13 years in prison for using a computer in his home to distribute images of child pornography, including images of infants, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Arthur Frazer Jr., 35, of Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Frazer admitted distributing images of infant child pornography via email using a home computer in December 2010. He also admitted to possessing more than 600 images of child pornography on his computer and accessories, which were seized from his residence in February 2012. Frazer acknowledged that among the images of child pornography he possessed and distributed were images which depicted minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct with other minors and adults, including material portraying sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence. Frazer was previously charged by complaint with distribution of child pornography in February 2012 and has been in custody since his arrest.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Pisano sentenced Frazer to seven years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $7,000.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Muoio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
Arthur Frazer Jr., 35, of Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Frazer admitted distributing images of infant child pornography via email using a home computer in December 2010. He also admitted to possessing more than 600 images of child pornography on his computer and accessories, which were seized from his residence in February 2012. Frazer acknowledged that among the images of child pornography he possessed and distributed were images which depicted minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct with other minors and adults, including material portraying sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence. Frazer was previously charged by complaint with distribution of child pornography in February 2012 and has been in custody since his arrest.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Pisano sentenced Frazer to seven years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $7,000.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Muoio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
St. Augustine Sex Offender Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to International Transportation of Child Pornography
JACKSONVILLE—Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Charles Lee Gorish (67, St. Augustine) pleaded guilty to transporting images and videos of child pornography from Florida to Canada. Gorish faces a mandatory minimum penalty of not less than 15 years and up to 40 years in federal prison. Gorish has been in custody since his arrest in St. Augustine on September 7, 2012. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Gorish, using a fake name, sent a package by FedEx from St. Augustine to an individual in Ontario, Canada. The package was intercepted by Canadian law enforcement officers. It contained, among other things, two micro SD media cards with more than 600 images and videos depicting child pornography and thousands of images of child erotica. Canadian officials notified the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations regarding the seizure of this package. Further investigation revealed that Gorish is a registered sex offender. He was convicted in Hillsborough County, Florida on February 24, 1992, for lewd and lascivious conduct on a minor child.
On September 7, 2012, FBI agents and SJCSO personnel executed a federal search warrant at Gorish's residence in St. Augustine. During an interview, Gorish admitted, among other things, that he downloaded the files depicting the sexually explicit images of young boys on the SD cards from the Internet over a period of years. Gorish was subsequently arrested.
This case was investigated by the Canadian Border Services Agency, Ottawa Police Services, St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
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.
According to court documents, Gorish, using a fake name, sent a package by FedEx from St. Augustine to an individual in Ontario, Canada. The package was intercepted by Canadian law enforcement officers. It contained, among other things, two micro SD media cards with more than 600 images and videos depicting child pornography and thousands of images of child erotica. Canadian officials notified the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations regarding the seizure of this package. Further investigation revealed that Gorish is a registered sex offender. He was convicted in Hillsborough County, Florida on February 24, 1992, for lewd and lascivious conduct on a minor child.
On September 7, 2012, FBI agents and SJCSO personnel executed a federal search warrant at Gorish's residence in St. Augustine. During an interview, Gorish admitted, among other things, that he downloaded the files depicting the sexually explicit images of young boys on the SD cards from the Internet over a period of years. Gorish was subsequently arrested.
This case was investigated by the Canadian Border Services Agency, Ottawa Police Services, St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
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.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Huntsville Resident Convicted of Distributing Child Pornography
HOUSTON—Reed C. LeBlanc, 20, a former resident of Huntsville, has entered a plea of guilty to distribution of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
The investigation started as a result of several downloads of child pornography over the Internet by a federal agent with the New York Field Office of the FBI that were traced to a computer used by LeBlanc.
On December 3, 2012, federal agents served a search warrant at LeBlanc’s Huntsville address and seized his Apple computer. A forensic exam was conducted, and it revealed approximately 82 images and 33 videos of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas, who accepted the guilty plea, has set sentencing for January 14, 2014, at which time Leblanc faces at least five and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, as well as a possible $250,000 fine. Upon completion of any prison term imposed, LeBlanc also faces a maximum of life on supervised release during which the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect children and prohibit the use of the Internet. He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The charges against were the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and officers with the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Stabe, 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."
The investigation started as a result of several downloads of child pornography over the Internet by a federal agent with the New York Field Office of the FBI that were traced to a computer used by LeBlanc.
On December 3, 2012, federal agents served a search warrant at LeBlanc’s Huntsville address and seized his Apple computer. A forensic exam was conducted, and it revealed approximately 82 images and 33 videos of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas, who accepted the guilty plea, has set sentencing for January 14, 2014, at which time Leblanc faces at least five and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, as well as a possible $250,000 fine. Upon completion of any prison term imposed, LeBlanc also faces a maximum of life on supervised release during which the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect children and prohibit the use of the Internet. He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The charges against were the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and officers with the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Stabe, 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."
Pittsburgh Man Faces Charges Related to the Sexual Exploitation of Minors
PITTSBURGH—An Allegheny County man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of receipt, distribution, and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The three-count indictment named James Stover, 26, formerly of 950 Industry Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on or about March 19, 2013, Stover received images containing material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. The indictment further alleges that on or about May 29, 2013, Stover distributed images containing material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. The indictment further alleges that on or about August 15, 2013, Stover knowingly possessed videos and images in computer graphic files, the production of which involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, some of whom had not yet attained 12 years of age.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 50 years in prison, a fine of $750,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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.justice.gov/psc.
The three-count indictment named James Stover, 26, formerly of 950 Industry Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on or about March 19, 2013, Stover received images containing material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. The indictment further alleges that on or about May 29, 2013, Stover distributed images containing material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. The indictment further alleges that on or about August 15, 2013, Stover knowingly possessed videos and images in computer graphic files, the production of which involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, some of whom had not yet attained 12 years of age.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 50 years in prison, a fine of $750,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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.justice.gov/psc.
Kearney Man Sentenced to 20 Years on Child Pornography Charges
KANSAS CITY, MO—Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kearney, Missouri man was sentenced in federal court today for producing and possessing child pornography.
Austin D. Hurtado, 20, of Kearney, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Fernando J. Gaitan to 20 years in federal prison without parole.
Hurtado pleaded guilty on February 8, 2013, to one count of producing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. According to his plea agreement, an FBI agent identified Hurtado’s computer (at his former residence in Smithville, Missouri) as sharing child pornography over the Internet. Using a peer-to-peer file-sharing program, the agent downloaded images of child pornography from Hurtado’s computer on November 21 and 22, 2011.
Hurtado’s two laptop computers were seized by law enforcement officers and a forensic examiner found they contained numerous videos of an 8-year-old child in the shower. Hurtado’s face was visible in at least one of those videos. The forensic examiner also found the same child victim in additional numerous photos and videos of child pornography. Hurtado possessed 191 child pornography videos and more than 80 images of child pornography.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Hurtado must pay a total of $10,000 in restitution to two of the victims portrayed in those images and movies, or $6,000 if he pays the restitution within 30 days.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the FBI.
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 tab "Resources."
Austin D. Hurtado, 20, of Kearney, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Fernando J. Gaitan to 20 years in federal prison without parole.
Hurtado pleaded guilty on February 8, 2013, to one count of producing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. According to his plea agreement, an FBI agent identified Hurtado’s computer (at his former residence in Smithville, Missouri) as sharing child pornography over the Internet. Using a peer-to-peer file-sharing program, the agent downloaded images of child pornography from Hurtado’s computer on November 21 and 22, 2011.
Hurtado’s two laptop computers were seized by law enforcement officers and a forensic examiner found they contained numerous videos of an 8-year-old child in the shower. Hurtado’s face was visible in at least one of those videos. The forensic examiner also found the same child victim in additional numerous photos and videos of child pornography. Hurtado possessed 191 child pornography videos and more than 80 images of child pornography.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Hurtado must pay a total of $10,000 in restitution to two of the victims portrayed in those images and movies, or $6,000 if he pays the restitution within 30 days.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the FBI.
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 tab "Resources."
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Fort Polk Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor
LAKE CHARLES, LA—United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Antwon M. Sewell, 20, of Fort Polk, Louisiana, was sentenced on October 3, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to 15 months in prison with five years of supervised release for committing abusive sexual contact with two minors. Sewell pleaded guilty on June 13, 2013.
According to evidence presented in court, Sewell was at a party taking place at an unoccupied residence on the Fort Polk Military base on July 18, 2012. While at the party, he had sexual contact with a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old girl at different times that night. He admitted to providing alcohol to the minors attending the party.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
According to evidence presented in court, Sewell was at a party taking place at an unoccupied residence on the Fort Polk Military base on July 18, 2012. While at the party, he had sexual contact with a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old girl at different times that night. He admitted to providing alcohol to the minors attending the party.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
Louisville Man Pleads Guilty to Online Enticement and Production of Child Pornography
LOUISVILLE, KY—A Louisville Man has pleaded guilty to violating federal child exploitation laws, announced David J. Hale, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. Marvin Duane Monk, age 46, entered the guilty pleas before Senior U.S. District Judge Charles R. Simpson, III in federal court in Louisville on September 27, 2013. Sentencing in the matter is scheduled before Judge Simpson on January 14, 2014, at 2:00 p.m.
Monk pleaded guilty to a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on October 2, 2012. Monk was previously charged in a September 6, 2012 criminal complaint.
According to court records, on August 19, 2012, Monk’s spouse discovered that he had been engaging in sexual activities with her minor daughter in their Louisville residence. Monk left the residence in Louisville and moved to a hotel in Clark County, Indiana. Shortly thereafter, he took the minor from Louisville to Indiana with him. Not knowing where her daughter was, the mother contacted the Louisville Metro Police Department and filed a missing person report. She also filed for and received an emergency protection order (EPO) against Monk in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The EPO included an order that Monk have no contact with either his wife or the minor stepdaughter.
Two days later, the mother learned that Monk and her daughter were staying at a motel in Clarksville, Indiana. Clark County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the motel, where they found Monk and the minor.
Monk subsequently admitted to law enforcement officers that he brought his stepdaughter to Indiana from her home in Louisville. Monk also admitted to engaging in a sexual relationship with the minor and to recording the sexual activity. The Clark County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant on the motel room. Evidence seized included a video recorder, video tapes, and cellular telephones.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jo E. Lawless is prosecuting the case. The Louisville Metro Police Department Crimes Against Children Unit, Louisville Division of the FBI, and Clark County (Indiana) Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.
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, 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 “Resources” tab.
Monk pleaded guilty to a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on October 2, 2012. Monk was previously charged in a September 6, 2012 criminal complaint.
According to court records, on August 19, 2012, Monk’s spouse discovered that he had been engaging in sexual activities with her minor daughter in their Louisville residence. Monk left the residence in Louisville and moved to a hotel in Clark County, Indiana. Shortly thereafter, he took the minor from Louisville to Indiana with him. Not knowing where her daughter was, the mother contacted the Louisville Metro Police Department and filed a missing person report. She also filed for and received an emergency protection order (EPO) against Monk in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The EPO included an order that Monk have no contact with either his wife or the minor stepdaughter.
Two days later, the mother learned that Monk and her daughter were staying at a motel in Clarksville, Indiana. Clark County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the motel, where they found Monk and the minor.
Monk subsequently admitted to law enforcement officers that he brought his stepdaughter to Indiana from her home in Louisville. Monk also admitted to engaging in a sexual relationship with the minor and to recording the sexual activity. The Clark County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant on the motel room. Evidence seized included a video recorder, video tapes, and cellular telephones.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jo E. Lawless is prosecuting the case. The Louisville Metro Police Department Crimes Against Children Unit, Louisville Division of the FBI, and Clark County (Indiana) Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.
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, 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 “Resources” tab.
Palm Beach County Resident Convicted for Receipt, Distribution, and Possession of Child Pornography
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announce that Hernandez Banks, 23, of Palm Beach, was convicted yesterday on all three counts of receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography, after a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra.
This case stemmed from an undercover investigation into child pornography distributers who use LimeWire, a peer-to-peer software application. In August 2011, FBI-Houston conducted and undercover investigation that identified Banks transmitting child pornography from his West Palm Beach home using LimeWire. The FBI-West Palm Beach seized two computers from Banks’ home. The FBI analyzed the computers at their laboratory and discovered over 100 videos and images of child pornography.
Banks faces a mandatory minimum term of five years and up to a maximum term of 20 years in prison on the receipt and distribution counts. Banks faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison on the possession count. Sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra in West Palm Beach, Florida.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and is 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.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lothrop Morris.
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.
This case stemmed from an undercover investigation into child pornography distributers who use LimeWire, a peer-to-peer software application. In August 2011, FBI-Houston conducted and undercover investigation that identified Banks transmitting child pornography from his West Palm Beach home using LimeWire. The FBI-West Palm Beach seized two computers from Banks’ home. The FBI analyzed the computers at their laboratory and discovered over 100 videos and images of child pornography.
Banks faces a mandatory minimum term of five years and up to a maximum term of 20 years in prison on the receipt and distribution counts. Banks faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison on the possession count. Sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra in West Palm Beach, Florida.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and is 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.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lothrop Morris.
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.
Virginia Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Possession of Child Porngraphy
WASHINGTON—Richard Mark Abbott, 62, of Chesterfield, Virginia, was sentenced today to a two-and-a-half-year prison term on a federal charge of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Abbott pled guilty to the charge in July 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable John D. Bates. Upon completion of his prison term, Abbott will be placed on 10 years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 15, 2013, Abbott contacted an undercover officer with the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force who had posted an ad on a social network site frequented by individuals with a sexual interest in children. Over the next few days, Abbott engaged in online e-mail and instant messaging with the undercover officer, whom Abbott believed was the father of an underaged girl.
During the course of their communications, Abbott sent the undercover officer 10 images of child pornography. On May 2, 2013, Abbott was arrested at his residence in Virginia. Pursuant to a search warrant for the residence, law enforcement recovered various electronic devices including two computers and various external storage devices. After a forensic review of those items, law enforcement recovered over 600 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. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, 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 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, Assistant Director, Parlave 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.
Abbott pled guilty to the charge in July 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable John D. Bates. Upon completion of his prison term, Abbott will be placed on 10 years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 15, 2013, Abbott contacted an undercover officer with the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force who had posted an ad on a social network site frequented by individuals with a sexual interest in children. Over the next few days, Abbott engaged in online e-mail and instant messaging with the undercover officer, whom Abbott believed was the father of an underaged girl.
During the course of their communications, Abbott sent the undercover officer 10 images of child pornography. On May 2, 2013, Abbott was arrested at his residence in Virginia. Pursuant to a search warrant for the residence, law enforcement recovered various electronic devices including two computers and various external storage devices. After a forensic review of those items, law enforcement recovered over 600 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. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, 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 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, Assistant Director, Parlave 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.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Former Youth Minister Sentenced to 48 Months in Federal Prison on Obscenity Conviction
LUBBOCK, TX—Trevor Jacob Fortner, 25, of Lubbock, Texas, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 48 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in July 2013 to one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Judge Cummings ordered that Fortner surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on November 22, 2013. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
Most recently, Fortner was a youth minister at a church in Levelland, Texas; he has also worked in the graphics department of a church in Lubbock.
According to documents filed in the case, on May 7, 2013, Fortner responded to an online personal advertisement that had been posted by an undercover officer with the Lubbock Police Department (LPD). Posing as a 15-year-old girl, the undercover officer responded to Fortner’s initial contact. During ensuing e-mails and text conversations between Fortner and the undercover officer, Fortner repeatedly affirmed that he understood the girl’s age.
During these text conversations, Fortner discussed meeting the minor girl and described the kind of sexual activity he wished to engage in with her. He asked her to send him “kinky pics” and “dirty pics,” and on May 7, 2013, he sent her a sexually explicit photograph of himself. The following day, Fortner was interviewed by LPD officers, and he admitted communicating with a 15-year-old girl and sending her a photograph of himself, which he acknowledged was obscene.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “Resources.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, the LPD, and the LPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda R. Burch prosecuted.
According to documents filed in the case, on May 7, 2013, Fortner responded to an online personal advertisement that had been posted by an undercover officer with the Lubbock Police Department (LPD). Posing as a 15-year-old girl, the undercover officer responded to Fortner’s initial contact. During ensuing e-mails and text conversations between Fortner and the undercover officer, Fortner repeatedly affirmed that he understood the girl’s age.
During these text conversations, Fortner discussed meeting the minor girl and described the kind of sexual activity he wished to engage in with her. He asked her to send him “kinky pics” and “dirty pics,” and on May 7, 2013, he sent her a sexually explicit photograph of himself. The following day, Fortner was interviewed by LPD officers, and he admitted communicating with a 15-year-old girl and sending her a photograph of himself, which he acknowledged was obscene.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “Resources.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, the LPD, and the LPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda R. Burch prosecuted.
Philadelphia Man Charged in Sex Trafficking Conspiracy
Adrian Palmer, 43, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is charged by indictment, unsealed today, with conspiring in the sex trafficking of girls under the age of 18. Palmer is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of sex trafficking of minors, and one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. Palmer was arrested last night.
According to the indictment, between June 1, 2012 and June 14, 2012, Palmer, who worked as a security guard at a Days Inn motel on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia, provided protection and assistance to sex traffickers operating at the motel in exchange for a daily fee. Craig Johnson, indicted elsewhere, who was the operator of the sex trafficking venture, recruited young females to work as prostitutes. Johnson paid Palmer between $60 and $100 a day in exchange for advice about Johnson’s sex trafficking organization, including Johnson’s Backpage.com advertisements. Palmer also allegedly provided Johnson with clients for the sex trafficking business and provided protection for Johnson so that law enforcement authorities would not be alerted to the sex trafficking operation. It is further alleged that in August 2013, Palmer accepted $100 from a confidential witness in exchange for protecting him from law enforcement so he could engage in the sex trafficking of a (fictitious) 16-year-old minor.
If convicted of all charges, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison with a maximum of 30 years, a fine of up to $750,000, up to a lifetime period of supervised release, and a $300 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle L. Morgan.
An indictment or information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
According to the indictment, between June 1, 2012 and June 14, 2012, Palmer, who worked as a security guard at a Days Inn motel on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia, provided protection and assistance to sex traffickers operating at the motel in exchange for a daily fee. Craig Johnson, indicted elsewhere, who was the operator of the sex trafficking venture, recruited young females to work as prostitutes. Johnson paid Palmer between $60 and $100 a day in exchange for advice about Johnson’s sex trafficking organization, including Johnson’s Backpage.com advertisements. Palmer also allegedly provided Johnson with clients for the sex trafficking business and provided protection for Johnson so that law enforcement authorities would not be alerted to the sex trafficking operation. It is further alleged that in August 2013, Palmer accepted $100 from a confidential witness in exchange for protecting him from law enforcement so he could engage in the sex trafficking of a (fictitious) 16-year-old minor.
If convicted of all charges, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison with a maximum of 30 years, a fine of up to $750,000, up to a lifetime period of supervised release, and a $300 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle L. Morgan.
An indictment or information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Glen Carbon Man Sentenced for Receipt and Possession of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
Arlynn Gene Georgeson, 54, of Glen Carbon, Illinois, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to an information on June 17, 2013, charging, in count one, receipt of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct; and, in count two, possession of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Georgeson was sentenced to 97 months' imprisonment on both counts, to run concurrently; five years' supervised release on each count, also to run concurrently; and was ordered to pay a special assessment of $200. The court waived the fine. Georgeson was also ordered to pay, by consent of the parties, $1,000 in restitution to one of the victims portrayed in the images of child pornography in his possession. The court also ordered that the computer used to commit the charged offenses be forfeited. Finally, upon his release from prison, Georgeson must register as a sex offender.
Evidence presented at sentencing was that, on September 27, 2011, during an undercover operation, two FBI agents in separate states were both able to download images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct from a computer that was later linked to the defendant. Both offices forwarded this information to the FBI’s Springfield Child Exploitation Task Force located in its Fairview Heights Office. Members of the task force subsequently obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s residence in Glen Carbon, Illinois.
One of the items seized during the execution of the search warrant was a Dell Studio Laptop Computer, Model 1555. A forensic examination of the Dell laptop revealed approximately 16,282 images and 512 videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The majority of the images and/or videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct that the defendant possessed were of minors between the ages of 2 and 12. There were also images on the laptop of toddlers between the ages of 2 and 5 being orally, vaginally, or anally penetrated, as well as images of bondage involving minors. Georgeson later admitted to law enforcement officers that he was the primary user of the laptop and that he put the images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on the computer (count two). The examination also revealed that several of the images of the minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct had been downloaded by the defendant, using a file sharing program, on December 28, 2011 (count one).
During the search of his residence, Georgeson agreed to provide a voluntary statement to law enforcement officers. Georgeson stated that he was the sole user of the file sharing program found on the Dell Studio laptop and that he initially used the program to download music. Georgeson stated that he began to see images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in some of the downloads and subsequently started searching for such image and/or video files. Georgeson said that he viewed the “younger” images and that gender was not an issue for him. He described “younger” as being a prepubescent with no hip or breast development. He also admitted having some images involving infants saved to his laptop computer. Finally, Georgeson admitted saving the images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct to the laptop computer, stating that he used the images for personal gratification and “research,” and that he downloaded the images and/or videos while his wife was at work.
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 FBI’s New Orleans Office and the FBI’s Springfield Child Exploitation Task Force. The case was assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.
Evidence presented at sentencing was that, on September 27, 2011, during an undercover operation, two FBI agents in separate states were both able to download images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct from a computer that was later linked to the defendant. Both offices forwarded this information to the FBI’s Springfield Child Exploitation Task Force located in its Fairview Heights Office. Members of the task force subsequently obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s residence in Glen Carbon, Illinois.
One of the items seized during the execution of the search warrant was a Dell Studio Laptop Computer, Model 1555. A forensic examination of the Dell laptop revealed approximately 16,282 images and 512 videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The majority of the images and/or videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct that the defendant possessed were of minors between the ages of 2 and 12. There were also images on the laptop of toddlers between the ages of 2 and 5 being orally, vaginally, or anally penetrated, as well as images of bondage involving minors. Georgeson later admitted to law enforcement officers that he was the primary user of the laptop and that he put the images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on the computer (count two). The examination also revealed that several of the images of the minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct had been downloaded by the defendant, using a file sharing program, on December 28, 2011 (count one).
During the search of his residence, Georgeson agreed to provide a voluntary statement to law enforcement officers. Georgeson stated that he was the sole user of the file sharing program found on the Dell Studio laptop and that he initially used the program to download music. Georgeson stated that he began to see images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in some of the downloads and subsequently started searching for such image and/or video files. Georgeson said that he viewed the “younger” images and that gender was not an issue for him. He described “younger” as being a prepubescent with no hip or breast development. He also admitted having some images involving infants saved to his laptop computer. Finally, Georgeson admitted saving the images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct to the laptop computer, stating that he used the images for personal gratification and “research,” and that he downloaded the images and/or videos while his wife was at work.
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 FBI’s New Orleans Office and the FBI’s Springfield Child Exploitation Task Force. The case was assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.
Fairfax Woman Convicted of Sex Trafficking a 15-Year-Old Girl
ALEXANDRIA, VA—Stephanie Chapman, 28, of Fairfax, Virginia, was convicted today by a federal jury on charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child, sex trafficking of a child, and interstate transportation of a minor for the purposes of prostitution.
Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler, Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by United States District Judge Liam O’Grady.
Chapman faces a maximum penalty of life in prison with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years of imprisonment when she is sentenced on January 24, 2014.
Chapman was indicted on July 11, 2013, by a federal grand jury. According to court records and evidence adduced at trial, between February 27, 2013 and March 12, 2013, Chapman and her boyfriend, Ronnie Holmes, met a 15-year-old girl and recruited her to be a prostitute for them. During that time, Chapman and Holmes took sexually suggestive photographs of the girl; sent the photographs to potential customers; posted the photographs on Backpage.com; drove the girl to meet with customers at locations in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia; and took half of the money paid to the girl after she engaged in sex with customers for money.
Chapman’s co-defendant, Ronnie Holmes, previously pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fairfax County Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Stacey Luck and Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Frank are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.
Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler, Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by United States District Judge Liam O’Grady.
Chapman faces a maximum penalty of life in prison with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years of imprisonment when she is sentenced on January 24, 2014.
Chapman was indicted on July 11, 2013, by a federal grand jury. According to court records and evidence adduced at trial, between February 27, 2013 and March 12, 2013, Chapman and her boyfriend, Ronnie Holmes, met a 15-year-old girl and recruited her to be a prostitute for them. During that time, Chapman and Holmes took sexually suggestive photographs of the girl; sent the photographs to potential customers; posted the photographs on Backpage.com; drove the girl to meet with customers at locations in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia; and took half of the money paid to the girl after she engaged in sex with customers for money.
Chapman’s co-defendant, Ronnie Holmes, previously pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fairfax County Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Stacey Luck and Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Frank are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.
Former Hartford Resident Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking of a Minor
Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that Kamar James, also known as “Sean Steppa,” “Sean Lawson,” and “Akamar Lawson,” 31, a citizen of Jamaica last residing in Hartford, was sentenced on October 9 by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for sex trafficking of a minor.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2011, James recruited a minor victim whom James knew to be under the age of 18 to engage in prostitution. On multiple occasions, James transported the minor victim from Connecticut to streets in New York City where the victim would meet men who would pay her for sexual encounters. James also posted pictures of the minor victim on the Internet to advertise the victim’s prostitution services. He then transported the victim to hotels in the New York City area when the victim engaged in pre-arranged prostitution encounters. The victim turned over all the proceeds from the prostitution encounters to James.
Judge Bryant ordered James to pay restitution of $12,750 to his victim.
James has been detained since his arrest on February 3, 2012. On June 27, 2013, he pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a minor.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Novick.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2011, James recruited a minor victim whom James knew to be under the age of 18 to engage in prostitution. On multiple occasions, James transported the minor victim from Connecticut to streets in New York City where the victim would meet men who would pay her for sexual encounters. James also posted pictures of the minor victim on the Internet to advertise the victim’s prostitution services. He then transported the victim to hotels in the New York City area when the victim engaged in pre-arranged prostitution encounters. The victim turned over all the proceeds from the prostitution encounters to James.
Judge Bryant ordered James to pay restitution of $12,750 to his victim.
James has been detained since his arrest on February 3, 2012. On June 27, 2013, he pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a minor.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Novick.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
28 men may be charged in 11-year-old's rape
CLEVELAND, Texas — Some of the suspects charged in connection with the gang rape of an 11-year-old girl appeared in court on Monday.
Cleveland police said the sixth-grade student was assaulted inside an abandoned trailer over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Sixteen people have been charged in the case, including four Cleveland High School students who were charged last week with aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14.
As many as five juvenile suspects were in court on Monday. Their names were withheld because they are minors.
In the 75th District Court, Jamarcus Napper, 18; Jared McPherson, 18; Kelvin King, 21; Marcos Porchia, 26; and Isaiah Ross, 21, appeared before the judge.
Ross’ attorney said even more names could be added to the suspect list.
“I don’t know the exact number of people involved. I’ve heard as many as 28 or more,” defense attorney James Evans said.
Evans said Ross is accused of multiple offenses in the case for encounters with the victim dating before the Nov. 28 incident and after.
“We do believe that she had a desire to be a willing participant in this tragic, very tragic — but we are working through it,” Evans said.
Evans represents four suspects in the case, and said the number of those implicated seems to grow by the day.
“Sixteen or 17 who have been arrested and there is additional people who are slated for the grand jury, so I really don’t know when it’s going to stop,” Evans said.
Six men were previously arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14. If convicted, the suspects face 25 years to life in prison.
Police arrested four men on charges of continuous sexual assault of a child.
The girl was removed from school shortly after the rape allegation came to light. She is being taught outside a traditional classroom setting, school officials said.
Court documents in the case show evidence in the case is circulating on cellular phones in Cleveland schools.
The documents read, “Victim stated that digital still images and digital video images of the sex acts were recorded by one or more individuals using cellular telephones.”
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Cleveland police at 281-592-2622.
Cleveland police said the sixth-grade student was assaulted inside an abandoned trailer over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Sixteen people have been charged in the case, including four Cleveland High School students who were charged last week with aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14.
As many as five juvenile suspects were in court on Monday. Their names were withheld because they are minors.
In the 75th District Court, Jamarcus Napper, 18; Jared McPherson, 18; Kelvin King, 21; Marcos Porchia, 26; and Isaiah Ross, 21, appeared before the judge.
Ross’ attorney said even more names could be added to the suspect list.
“I don’t know the exact number of people involved. I’ve heard as many as 28 or more,” defense attorney James Evans said.
Evans said Ross is accused of multiple offenses in the case for encounters with the victim dating before the Nov. 28 incident and after.
“We do believe that she had a desire to be a willing participant in this tragic, very tragic — but we are working through it,” Evans said.
Evans represents four suspects in the case, and said the number of those implicated seems to grow by the day.
“Sixteen or 17 who have been arrested and there is additional people who are slated for the grand jury, so I really don’t know when it’s going to stop,” Evans said.
Six men were previously arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14. If convicted, the suspects face 25 years to life in prison.
Police arrested four men on charges of continuous sexual assault of a child.
The girl was removed from school shortly after the rape allegation came to light. She is being taught outside a traditional classroom setting, school officials said.
Court documents in the case show evidence in the case is circulating on cellular phones in Cleveland schools.
The documents read, “Victim stated that digital still images and digital video images of the sex acts were recorded by one or more individuals using cellular telephones.”
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Cleveland police at 281-592-2622.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Man arrested in beating of 11-year-old girl
HOUSTON -- A 47-year-old man has been charged with injury to a child after police say he chased down a young girl and beat her with a stick and a belt.
According to court documents, the girl wanted to do laundry but Calvin Williams, a relative, told her "she better not."
The girl left her home in the 4700 block of Kress and headed to the utility room to wash her clothes. Witnesses told police that Williams followed her and began beating her with a stick until it broke. A Houston police investigator said Williams then took off his belt and starting hitting the child, striking her in the face with the buckle.
The girl tried to get away but was followed and beaten by Williams, according to police.
The suspect eventually fled the scene and police were called. Williams was arrested and is being held in the Harris County jail on a $50,000 bond.
The girl suffered a broken lip and numerous welts on her arms.
According to court documents, the girl wanted to do laundry but Calvin Williams, a relative, told her "she better not."
The girl left her home in the 4700 block of Kress and headed to the utility room to wash her clothes. Witnesses told police that Williams followed her and began beating her with a stick until it broke. A Houston police investigator said Williams then took off his belt and starting hitting the child, striking her in the face with the buckle.
The girl tried to get away but was followed and beaten by Williams, according to police.
The suspect eventually fled the scene and police were called. Williams was arrested and is being held in the Harris County jail on a $50,000 bond.
The girl suffered a broken lip and numerous welts on her arms.
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