Pennsylvania Man Sentenced for Producing Child Pornography

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Randall Lose, 37, of Howard, Pennsylvania, who was convicted of production of child pornography, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and 10 years’ supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie P. Grisanti and Maura O’Donnell, who handled the case, stated that the city of Tonawanda Police Department received a complaint from the parent of a 13-year-old and notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The defendant, who resided in Pennsylvania, used the Internet to communicate with and obtain sexual explicit videos of a minor female living in Western New York.
Knowing that the victim was 13 years old, Lose represented himself as a fellow teenager, claiming that he was 14 years old. The defendant convinced the victim to take her clothes off and to engage in graphic sexual activity as he watched over Skype from his residence in Pennsylvania. As he watched and recorded, Lose gave the victim instructions about what conduct to engage in. The defendant also tried to get the victim to give him information about her friends so he could communicate with them as well.
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 sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the city of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief William Strassburg; and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of David Zak.

Tefft Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Pornography

ALBANY, NY—TIMOTHY TEFFT, age 65, of Greenwich, New York, pled guilty today in Albany before Chief United States District Court Judge Gary L. Sharpe to one count of receiving child pornography, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Andrew W. Vale, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Albany Division. TEFFT faces at least five years of imprisonment and up to a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment. TEFFT was detained pending his sentencing.
During the plea hearing, TEFFT admitted that between January 1, 2009 and May 3, 2011, he accessed the Internet and downloaded and possessed, from various websites, dozens of files that contained child pornography. TEFFT further admitted that on occasion he would save the child pornography files onto a thumb drive in order to view the files at a later time.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 3, 2014, at 9:00 a.m. in Albany, New York. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rick Belliss.

Konn Convicted of Child Pornography Offenses

ALBANY, NY—Today, a federal jury trial that began Monday ended in the conviction of STEPHEN J. KONN, 63, of Clifton Park, New York, of the felony offenses of distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Andrew W. Vale, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
KONN faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment for five years and a maximum sentence of imprisonment for 20 years for each of the distribution and receipt convictions, and a maximum sentence of imprisonment for 10 years for the possession conviction, as well as a lifetime term of supervised release, a maximum fine of $250,000, and mandatory registration as a sex offender. KONN, who was remanded, will be sentenced in Albany on September 4, 2014 by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino.
The evidence presented at trial showed that KONN, a retired employee from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, used a peer-to-peer file-trading program to distribute child pornography to an undercover FBI agent via the Internet. A subsequent search of KONN’s Clifton Park residence uncovered a computer containing more than 4,000 images and 800 videos of child pornography and evidence that KONN had been trading child pornography over the Internet for years.
This prosecution resulted from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Albany Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Wayne A. Myers.

Burlington County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Producing Images of Child Sexual Abuse

CAMDEN, NJ—A Burlington County, New Jersey man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for his role in producing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
David Clark, 49, of Southampton, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez in to an information charging him with three counts of producing child pornography. Judge Rodriguez imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2004 through March 9, 2011, Clark employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, or coerced three separate minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Rodriguez sentenced Clark to a lifetime term of supervised release.
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; investigators with the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Robert D. Bernardi; and detectives with the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Rick Fuentes; and the New Jersey Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline M. Carle of the Criminal Division in Camden.

Tulalip Tribal Member Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder in Death of Toddler

An enrolled member of the Tulalip Tribes pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to second-degree murder and criminal mistreatment in the death of one daughter and the neglect of the second, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. Christina D. Carlson, 38, was indicted by the grand jury last May following the October 2012 death of her 19-month-old daughter and the neglect of her 33-month-old daughter. Under the terms of the plea agreement, both the prosecution and defense will recommend a prison sentence of eight to 13 years. However, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart is not bound by that recommendation and can impose any sentence up to the maximum life sentence allowed by law. Sentencing is scheduled for July 21, 2014.
Carlson has been in federal custody at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, Washington, since January 11, 2013. The criminal complaint and plea agreement describe how on October 8, 2012, emergency crews were called to an address on Marine Drive NE on the Tulalip Tribal Reservation where Carlson was performing CPR on her 19-month-old daughter who was unresponsive on a blanket on the ground. The child was unconscious, not breathing and covered in urine and feces. A second child, a 33-month old girl, was found strapped in her car seat in a nearby vehicle. The child was pale, unresponsive, and covered in urine and feces. The girl was transported to the hospital and later recovered. The 19-month old child died, and the Snohomish County Medical examiner classified the manner of death as homicide by parental neglect. According to the report, the child was malnourished and dehydrated, weighing only 19 pounds. The child’s skin in the diaper area was excoriated and infested with maggots. Her hair was infested with lice.
The investigation revealed that Carlson had been living in the car with the girls on the property since mid-September. On October 8, 2012, Carlson had left the girls in the car while she went to use a phone at the residence on the property. Carlson admits in her plea agreement that she was away from the car for several hours, attempting to obtain drugs for her personal use. About 20 minutes after the neighbors told her to go back to the car and her children, Carlson returned asking them to call 9-1-1 because the youngest child was unresponsive.
The case was investigated by the Tulalip Tribal Police and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London.

Former Carbon County Man Sentenced to 188 Months in Prision for Receiving and Distributing Child Pornography

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a 32-year-old former Lehighton resident was sentenced today to serve 188 months in prison for receiving and distributing child pornography by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Edwin M. Kosik.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the defendant, Stephen Puza, III, previously pleaded guilty to using a computer to download and share numerous images of child pornography during July 2011 through September 2011. Puza was living in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, at the time of his arrest.
Puza was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 10, 2013, as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and Lehighton Borough Police.
Judge Kosik also ordered Puza to be placed on supervised release for 10 years after serving his prison sentence. Puza was ordered to undergo sex offender treatment and will be subject to sex offender registration requirements and restrictions upon his release from prison.
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.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.

West Chester Man Sentenced for Distribution of Child Pornography

CINCINNATI—Christopher A. McGlown Jr., 27, of West Chester, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 60 months in prison for distributing child pornography through a peer to peer file sharing program.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Kevin Cornelius, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office (FBI); Erik Niehaus, Chief, West Chester Police Department; and other agencies in the Greater Cincinnati Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force announced the sentence handed down yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott.
McGlown pleaded guilty on November 20, 2012, to one count of distribution of child pornography. According to court documents, an FBI agent patrolling the Internet in August 2012 downloaded two images and six videos containing child pornography from an IP address determined to be assigned to McGlown. Agents searched McGlown’s house in November 2012 and found file sharing software running on a laptop computer in McGlown’s bedroom. The system showed that the application had been actively running for approximately eight hours.
Further investigation confirmed that McGlown had a collection of more than 600 images of child pornography. His collection included numerous images or video files depicting children younger than 12 years old engaging in various sex acts, including acts considered sadistic or violent.
McGlown was also sentenced to 20 years of court supervision following his prison sentence. While under court supervision, McGlown must register as a sex offender anywhere that he lives, works or goes to school.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, 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.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Stewart commended the investigation by the FBI and the Greater Cincinnati ICAC Task Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Muncy, who prosecuted the case.
Agencies participating in the Greater Cincinnati ICAC include the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters, Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil, and the police departments in Amberley Village, Blue Ash, Cincinnati, and West Chester.

Eagle Butte Man Charged with Sexual Abuse of a Minor

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for sexual abuse of a minor.
Kendahl Clown, age 20, was indicted on March 11, 2014. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on March 19, 2014, and pled not guilty to the indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 15 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine; at least five years up to life of supervised release, with a violation of a condition of release possibly resulting in five years of additional incarceration on any such revocation; and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The indictment alleges that between May 1, 2013 and June 30, 2013, Clown engaged in and attempted to engage in a sexual act with a minor.
The charge is merely an accusation, and Clown is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikal Hanson is prosecuting the case.
Clown was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.

Two Grey Hills Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison on Child Sex Assault Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE—Willis Yazzie, 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Two Grey Hills, New Mexico, was sentenced today to 188 months in federal prison, followed by eight years of supervised release, for his aggravated sexual assault conviction. Yazzie will be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.
Yazzie’s sentence was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Steven C. Yarbrough, Special Agent in Charge Carol K.O. Lee of the Albuquerque Division of the FBI, and Director John Billison of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety.
Yazzie was arrested by the FBI on May 11, 2010, based on a criminal complaint alleging that he had sexually abused two children, then ages 13 and 10. Yazzie has been in federal custody since that time. According to court filings, the abuse allegations against Yazzie came to light on May 3, 2010, when the Navajo Nation Division of Social Services contacted the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety to report the abuse. According to the complaint, Yazzie abused the older child beginning in 2008 and continuing until April 2010 and allegedly abused the younger child beginning in April 2010.
In June 2010, Yazzie was indicted and charged with aggravated sexual abuse of a child under the age of 16 and aggravated sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12. On February 9, 2011, Yazzie pleaded guilty to a felony information charging him with aggravated sexual abuse and admitted abusing a 13-year-old child by inappropriately touching the victim’s genitals. He also admitted that the sexual assault occurred in Two Grey Hills, which is located in the Navajo Indian Reservation.
This case was investigated by the Farmington Office of the FBI and the Shiprock Office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, with assistance from the Navajo Nation Division of Social Services. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob A. Wishard and Jennifer M. Rozzoni 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/.
# # #
14-109

Former Sabinal Police Officer Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography

Former Sabinal (Texas) Police Officer Jason Lee Villasana will serve 15 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to distributing child pornography announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman and Federal Bureau of Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse, San Antonio Division.
On August 21, 2013, Villasana, age 36, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography. According to court records, from May 2011 until November 15, 2012, Villasana received, stored, and sent images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On November 15, 2012, FBI agents and investigators from the Texas Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Division executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence and seized various electronic media belonging to the defendant. A subsequent forensics examination of the seized items revealed the presence of approximately 250 images, seven videos, and 64 thumbnail images of child pornography.
Villasana has remained in federal custody since his arrest on December 18, 2012. The sentence was handed down yesterday afternoon in Del Rio by U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation together with the Texas Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Division and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan M. McCalla and Matthew Watters prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Oakdale Youth Pastor, Registered Sex Offender from Escalon, and Bishop Man Charged in Separate Child Exploitation Cases

FRESNO, CA—A grand jury in Fresno returned three separate indictments today alleging offenses involving the sexual exploitation of minors, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
In the first indictment, Tyler Bliss, 26, of Oakdale, was charged with one count of receiving and distributing child pornography from October 2013 through February 2014. According to a previously filed criminal complaint, Google reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) that on December 3, 2013, an image of suspected child pornography had been uploaded to a Google account. NCMEC referred the matter to law enforcement, and a detective with the Ceres Police Department discovered that the same Google account had been connected with the transmission of hundreds of other images of suspected child pornography. Additional investigation revealed that the account had been accessed from a residence in Oakdale, as well as from a church in Oakdale. Computers and a cellphone were obtained through search warrants for both locations, and investigators found images related to the sexual exploitation of minors on these items. Bliss had been serving as supervisor of Student Ministries at the church.
Bliss has been in custody since his arrest by FBI agents Wednesday. He is scheduled for arraignment today at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara A. McAuliffe. His custody status will be addressed at this court appearance. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Ceres Police Department and the Modesto FBI Resident Agency with initial assistance from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information relevant to the investigation is encouraged to contact the Modesto Resident Agency of the FBI at 209-543-7846.
In the second indictment, Allen Kendrick, 47, of Escalon, was charged with one count of receiving and distributing child pornography from June 2013 through December 2013. According to a previously filed criminal complaint, Google reported to NCMEC that on December 10, 2013, six images of suspected child pornography were associated with a Google account. NCMEC referred the matter to law enforcement, and a detective with the Ceres Police Department discovered that the Google account had been accessed from residences in Modesto and Escalon. Additional investigation revealed that Kendrick was a registered sex offender on GPS location monitoring, and the GPS records confirmed that Kendrick was at the residences in Modesto and Escalon when the child pornography had been accessed. This case is the result of an investigation by the Ceres Police Department and the Modesto FBI Resident Agency, with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Division of Adult Parole Operations.
Kendrick has been ordered detained as a danger to the community and a flight risk. He will be arraigned on March 25, 2014, at 1:30 p.m. by Magistrate Judge Barbara A. McAuliffe. If convicted, he faces a maximum potential prison sentence of 40 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a lifetime term of supervised release.
In the third indictment, Lorenzo Hernandez Martinez, 37, of Bishop, was charged with one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. According to a criminal complaint, Martinez communicated through Facebook chats from mid-October 2013 through February 2014 with someone whom he believed to a 14-year-old girl in Oregon. Martinez quickly turned the communications in a sexual direction, and he repeatedly transmitted lewd images. In fact, Martinez was communicating with an undercover detective in Corvallis, Oregon. The Corvallis Police Department worked with the Bishop Police Department and the Bakersfield FBI Resident Agency to identify the defendant. When a search warrant was executed at his residence in Bishop on March 11, 2014, agents seized a cell phone that contained communications with the detective in Oregon and sexually explicit.
Martinez has been ordered detained as a danger to the community and a flight risk. If convicted, he faces a maximum prison term of 10 years, a potential fine of $250,000, and a three-year term of supervised release. He will be arraigned on March 24, 2014, at 1:30 p.m. by U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara A. McAuliffe.
Assistant United States Attorney David Gappa is prosecuting all three cases. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If the defendants are convicted, their sentence would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
They have been 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.

Steuben County Woman Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping Woman and 6-Month-Old Child

ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Billie Jo Ribble, 36, of Bath, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer to kidnapping a mother and her 6-month-old child and transporting them from Pennsylvania to New York. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison, a maximum of life, a fine of $250,000, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant abducted a mother and her 6-month-old child in Pennsylvania on March 1, 2013. At that time, Ribble was wanted by the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office on charges of burglary in the first degree and grand larceny in the third degree, in relation to a residential burglary that occurred in October 2012. On March 1, investigators from the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office and Pennsylvania State Police located and arrested the defendant in Mansfield, Pennsylvania. After being remanded to the Tioga County Jail in Pennsylvania, Ribble, who is pregnant, was taken to the hospital in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, for treatment in the maternity ward. While there, the defendant became violent, assaulted a Tioga County Corrections Officer who was assigned to guard her and escaped the hospital by climbing out a window.
Later on March 1, a woman and her 6-month-old daughter were asleep in the basement bedroom of a residence in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. At 11:30 p.m., the woman was awakened by Ribble, who was standing over her daughter’s crib holding a large butcher’s knife. While still holding the knife, the defendant picked up the child and threatened to kill the woman and her child and herself if the woman did not take Ribble where she wanted to go. Thereafter, the woman got into the driver’s seat of her car, and Ribble got into the front passenger seat, still holding the woman’s daughter and the butcher’s knife. At the direction of the defendant, the woman drove from Pennsylvania to an exit off Route 15 in Lindley, New York, where Ribble was dropped off. The woman then drove to a gas station in Pennsylvania and called the police.
After urgent investigation by the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police, Ribble was located at her boyfriend’s residence in Corning, New York. Ribble initially barricaded herself in the attic but eventually surrendered to authorities without incident.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff David Cole; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Mark Koss; the Pennsylvania State Police, under the direction of Commissioner Frank Noonan; and the Wellsboro (Pennsylvania) Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jim Bodine.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Larimer.

David Renz Sentenced on Federal Child Pornography Offenses

SYRACUSE, NY—United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian announced that David J. Renz, 30, of North Syracuse, was sentenced in federal court in Syracuse today on one count of receiving and five counts of possessing child pornography.
United States Senior District Court Judge, Honorable Norman A. Mordue sentenced Renz to a total of 30 years in federal prison: 20 years on his conviction for receiving child pornography, to be served consecutively to concurrent 10 year sentences on each of the possession charges. Mordue ordered that the sentence shall run consecutively to the state court sentence Renz faces in Onondaga County Court based upon his guilty pleas there to predatory sexual assault against a child and murder in the first degree for crimes he committed while on pre-trial release for the child pornography charges. The state court sentencing is tentatively scheduled for May 16, 2014, in Onondaga County Court.
If ever released, Renz was ordered to be placed on federal supervised release for life and will have to register as a sex offender.
Renz’s arrest on the child pornography charges was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The federal prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Fletcher.

Southern Oregon Sex Offender Sentenced to 37 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Pornography

MEDFORD, OR—On Monday, March 17, 2014, Senior U.S. District Judge Owen M. Panner sentenced Christopher Keith Hammer, 43, of Central Point, Oregon, to 37 years in federal prison for production of child pornography.
In February 2013, a nationwide FBI child pornography investigation revealed that sexually explicit photos of a 4-year-old child were being distributed from an e-mail account linked to Hammer’s residence. The Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force (SOHTCTF) executed a search warrant at Hammer’s residence, identified the child, and matched the clothing and furniture depicted in the sexually explicit photos. Hammer was arrested immediately. Hammer’s e-mail account contained several thousand images of child pornography, along with dozens of photos of the 4-year-old child in sexually explicit poses, which Hammer took over the course of a year. Hammer e-mailed the photos to several other child molesters he met online and described his ongoing sexual abuse of the child and his plans to take photos and videos of the sexual abuse. Hammer also indicated a desire to sexually abuse other children and encouraged other child molesters to sexually abuse their own children and send photos of the abuse to Hammer.
Hammer has two previous felony convictions in California for lewd and lascivious acts upon a child under 14 in 1994, in which he sexually abused his 6-year-old and 8-year-old relatives. Under federal law, any person who produces child pornography after two previous felony convictions for child sex abuse faces a mandatory minimum of 35 years in prison.
“These pictures represent the worst type of child sex offender—one who not only sexually exploits children, but also documents and shares his experiences with others, and encourages others to do the same,” said U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall. “The severe penalties imposed by federal law are well deserved and necessary to protect our most vulnerable victims—children.”
This case was investigated by the SOHTCTF, a multi-jurisdictional computer crimes task force composed of the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Central Point Police Department, Medford Police Department, Ashland Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office, and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas W. Fong.

Teacher’s Aide Sentenced to 50 Years’ Imprisonment for Producing and Distributing Child Pornography

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Taleek Brooks, a former teacher’s aide at a public elementary school in Brooklyn, was sentenced to 50 years’ imprisonment following his conviction for the production and distribution of child pornography.
The sentence was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and George Venizelos, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office.
“Today’s sentence stands as a strong warning to child predators, especially those who take advantage of the trust that the public and parents place in them to educate and protect our children, that we will not tolerate the victimization of our children,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. ‘The prevention of sexual exploitation remains a priority of this office and child predators are on notice that we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” Ms. Lynch expressed her grateful appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Brooks, a former teacher’s aide at Public School 243, The Weeksville School, in Brooklyn, regularly downloaded and traded videos and images depicting child pornography over the Internet through GigaTribe, a peer-to-peer file sharing program. In December 2011, Brooks accepted a friend request from an undercover FBI special agent with the FBI’s Crimes Against Children Unit, which permitted the agent to observe and download several videos and images depicting child pornography that Brooks had designated for sharing with his GigaTribe friends. During a subsequent search of the defendant’s Brooklyn residence, agents recovered computer equipment that contained nearly 2,000 videos and images depicting child pornography.
A FBI forensic examination of the equipment revealed that Brooks had produced child pornography. In a folder that Brooks had labeled “Special,” investigators recovered videos of a young boy performing sexually explicit acts at Brooks’ direction. Brooks can be seen and heard on the videos directing the child to masturbate, and on one of the videos, the defendant himself is seen molesting the victim child. Investigators later confirmed that the young boy was a former student at Public School 243 and that Brooks produced the videos on at least seven different occasions between 2010 and 2011. All the videos were produced in school classrooms.
The sentencing proceeding was held before United States District Judge Roslynn R. Mauskopf. The government’s case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert T. Polemeni.
Defendant:
Taleek Brooks
Brooklyn, New York
Age 43

Cincinnati Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography Victimizing a Child He Babysat

CINCINNATI—Caleb Zachary Storey, 30, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to producing sexually explicit photographs of a child he was babysitting in the family’s home and trading child pornography through an e-mail account. Under terms of the plea agreement, he will spend 32 years in prison and will be under court supervision for the rest of his life.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Kevin R. Cornelius, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Cincinnati; Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell; Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil; and members of the Greater Cincinnati Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) announced the pleas entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Sandra Beckwith.
Storey pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography, which is punishable by at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, and one count of possession of child pornography. That crime carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
According to court documents, FBI agents and members of the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Section, Major Case Coordination Unit investigating a case in Savannah, Georgia found a sexually explicit image of a child and traced it to an address in Cincinnati. Further investigation determined that the photo was taken at the family’s home. The child’s parents identified Storey as their in-home child care provider when the photograph was taken.
On January 8, investigators searched Storey’s residence and found evidence that he had been trading child pornographic images using an e-mail account and a photograph-sharing website. Preliminary forensic examination of computer and storage media seized from his residence have identified at least four other boys, all less than 8 years old, pictured in pornographic images taken by Storey. The FBI arrested Storey on January 8 based on a criminal complaint. He has been in custody since his arrest.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The FBI Child Exploitation Task Force includes the Regional Electronics and Computer Investigations (RECI) unit from Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil’s Office and the Cincinnati Police Department. Other agencies participating in the Greater Cincinnati ICAC include Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters, and the police departments in Amberley Village, Blue Ash, and West Chester.
U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the FBI agents and task force officers who are investigating the case, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Muncy who is representing the United States in this case.

Martial Arts Instructor Will Serve 90 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography

Christopher M. Horton, 21, of Highland, Illinois, was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court to 90 years in prison for six counts of production of child pornography, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced. Horton was also ordered to pay $3,250 in restitution to the victims of his offenses and a $600 special assessment. If he is ever released from prison, he will be on federal supervised release for the remainder of his life.
“While there is little comfort for the instant victims, it is assuring to know that such a vicious predator will never again walk free in Southern Illinois.” said United States Attorney Wigginton.
Employed as a martial arts instructor at a studio in Belleville, Illinois, Horton sexually abused three students, ages 6, 6, and 10 years, and video recorded these acts of abuse using his cell phone. Horton also attempted to engage a fourth minor, who was 7 years old, in sexually explicit conduct to produce a recording of that conduct. Approximately 57 video files containing child pornography were recovered from Horton’s cellular phone, which were created by Horton 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.
In all, evidence showed that Horton preyed upon children whenever given the opportunity, including at the karate studio where he worked, private residences, and at his home. United States Attorney Wigginton noted, “Horton demonstrated brazen arrogance in his commission of the sexual abuse of these children, committing his acts while other adults were in the same building and often just on the other side of a closed door.” Two electronic entries, located in the “Notes” folder of Horton’s iPhone, found during the forensic examination, demonstrated the calculated and premeditated manner in which Horton targeted each of his victims. In the two entries, Horton meticulously scripted what he would say to his young victims to solicit them, groom them, and to keep them silent.
In pronouncing the sentence, Chief United States District Judge David R. Herndon commented on the shocking and serious nature of the offenses committed by Horton: “Probably in my 15 years as a federal judge this is the most serious and heinous case that I have seen. The dangerousness and deviousness of the defendant’s acts are off the charts.”
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. Horton is also charged with several counts of predatory criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse in the circuit courts of Madison and St. Clair Counties. Those charges are still pending. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ali Summers.

Englewood Man Arrested for Production of Child Pornography and Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct

DENVER—U.S. Attorney John Walsh and FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ravenelle announced that Mervin Edy Wolf, age 61, of Englewood, Colorado, was arrested and charged with travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and production of child pornography. Wolf appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on March 6, 2014 for an initial appearance, where he was advised of the charges pending against him, as well as his rights. He is due back in court Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. for a detention hearing and preliminary hearing.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Wolf formerly resided in California but moved to Englewood, Colorado with his wife sometime after 1999. Wolf and his wife visited relatives regularly in California, usually for two-week periods at a time. Beginning on or about September of 2007, Wolf began producing pornographic photographs of a minor child who lived in the home of California relatives. Over the next seven years, Wolf and his wife would travel to California to visit the same relatives, sometimes up to three times a year. During each of these trips, Wolf would force the same minor child to perform and participate in an escalating pattern of sexual acts, which Wolf would photograph and/or videotape. During several of the molestations, Wolf’s wife and relatives would be in the house unaware of what was happening.
In January 2013, the minor child contacted Wolf via telephone and told him that she was afraid she may be pregnant due to his sexual activity with her. Wolf told the minor child he would pay for an abortion if she was in fact pregnant by Wolf. Wolf mailed two home pregnancy tests to the minor child; after she took the tests, she learned she was not pregnant.
When the minor child learned that Wolf was planning to visit California in June 2014, she made the decision to disclose all of the sexual abuse by Wolf. The minor child explained she was afraid Wolf would start molesting her younger sibling. Once the minor child’s family learned of the abuse by Wolf, other family members came forward to also report abuse by Wolf. During the course of the California investigation, it was also learned that Wolf and his wife were foster parents in 2003. Two foster children—who were both girls and under the age of 7—both disclosed sexual abuse by Wolf. The allegations were investigated by the Arapahoe County Department of Human Services and the Englewood Police Department. No charges were filed against Wolf. However, due to the allegations, the Wolfs’ foster care license was revoked.
On March 5, 2014, a federal search warrant was executed at the residence of Mervin Wolf in Englewood, Colorado. Minutes before the execution of the search warrant, the minor child contacted Wolf on his cell phone at the direction of the investigating agency in California; the call was recorded. During the call, Wolf confirmed the sexual relationship between him and the minor child. He also confirmed the production of pictures and videos of the sex acts with the minor child. However, Wolf told the minor child that the pictures had been destroyed and no one would find them. During the subsequent search of Wolf’s home, FBI agents seized a 8mm video camera, a digital camera, a camera tripod, and a laptop among other items. Electronic media are currently undergoing forensic examination.
“As this case demonstrates, our society will not tolerate sexual abuse of children,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. “In this case, the defendant not only traveled across state lines to sexually exploit a minor child, he also documented that horrible behavior using video recording devices. Prosecuting cases such as this are a priority to protect innocent victims.”
“The FBI and our partners will continue to vigorously investigate all allegations of conduct that exploits and jeopardizes the wellbeing of our children,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ravenelle. “We encourage anyone who suspects this type of activity to immediately report their information to law enforcement.”
If convicted of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, Wolf faces not less than 30 years and up to life in federal prison, as well as up to a $250,000 fine. If convicted of production of child pornography, Wolf faces not less than 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison, as well as up to a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the FBI with support from the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office. If you have any information about this case contact the Denver FBI at (303) 629-7171.
Wolf is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith Smith, chief of the Special Prosecutions Section, Criminal Division of the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A criminal complaint is a probable cause charging document. Anyone accused of committing a federal felony crime has a constitutional right to be indicted by a federal grand jury.
The charges contained in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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, PSC 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 PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ For more information about Internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab “resources.”

Wisconsin Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that David Whitworth, 42, of Madison, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and receipt of child pornography before Chief U.S. District Court Judge William M. Skretny. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison, a $500,000 fine, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marie P. Grisanti and Maura K. O’Donnell, who are handling the case, stated that the defendant posed as a modeling agent online to induce minors in the Western District of New York and elsewhere to produce pornographic images of themselves. The minors then e-mailed the images to Whitworth via the Internet.
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 result of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack; and Lancaster Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gerald Gill.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 23, 2014, at 9:00 a.m. before Chief Judge Skretny.

Amherst Man Indicted for Possession of Child Pornography

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a five-count indictment charging Cameron Stroke, 32, of Amherst, New York, with possession of child pornography. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that, according to the indictment, in February 2011, the defendant possessed child pornography that contained graphic depictions of the sexual abuse of prepubescent children and children performing sexual acts on animals. The images were found following online postings made by the defendant soliciting minors for sexual purposes.
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 indictment is the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; investigators with the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Michael Cerretto; and Detectives with the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack.
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.

West Seneca Man Indicted on Charges of Transportation and Possession of Child Pornography

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a five count indictment charging Joseph S. Heleniak, 69, of West Seneca, New York, with transportation and possession of child pornography. Due to a prior conviction, the transportation charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was arrested today, January 24, 2014, following the execution of a search warrant at his residence. According to the indictment, on August 30, 2013, Heleniak sent an e-mail containing three image files of child pornography. The images depicted female children under the age of 16 engaging in sexual activities with adult males.
The indictment was the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, detectives with the Cheektowaga Police Department under the direction of Chief David Zack, and investigators with the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Michael Cerretto.
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.

Former Hudson County Teacher Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Distributing Images of Child Sexual Abuse Over the Internet

TRENTON, NJ—A former substitute teacher at a private school in Jersey City, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 121 months in prison for distributing images of child sexual abuse over the Internet, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Guy West, 45, of Jersey City, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography. Judge Sheridan imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
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. West admitted that on December 18, 2012, he made images and videos of child pornography stored on his computer available 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.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced West to serve a lifetime of supervised release. Restitution is to be determined.
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 sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.

Passaic County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Images of Child Sexual Abuse

NEWARK, NJ—A Totowa, New Jersey man admitted today that he possessed images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Anthony Chiampi, 48, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Chiampi is a Megan’s Law registrant, having been previously convicted in New Jersey Superior Court, Passaic County, for endangering the welfare of a child. As a result, he is subject to community supervision for life.
On March 14, 2013, as part of his community supervision, officers of the New Jersey Division of Parole visited Chiampi’s residence in Totowa. The officers discovered 63 disks that contained images and videos depicting child sexual abuse, including material that involved prepubescent minors.
Chiampi is subject to a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for June 3, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited the New Jersey State Parole Board, under the direction of Chairman James T. Plousis, and 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 guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Corcione of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.

Orange County Man Sentenced in White Plains Federal Court to 13 Years in Prison for Receiving and Possessing Child Pornography

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Michael Locatena was sentenced yesterday before United States District Judge Cathy Seibel in White Plains federal court to 13 years in prison for receiving and distributing child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated, “Those who receive and distribute child pornography endanger and victimize the most vulnerable in our communities. The stiff prison sentence imposed on Michael Locatena should serve to deter others who would engage in these crimes.”
According to the the Indictment and statements made during court proceedings:
Locatena, 46, of Chester in Orange County, New York, downloaded at least 1,400 images and videos of child pornography from the Internet using a peer-to-peer file-sharing program and saved the child pornography on external hard drives.
Yesterday’s sentencing followed Locatena’s guilty plea on February 7, 2012, and a three-day sentencing hearing that began in July 2013 and continued over the last two days. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Seibel heard testimony from a minor victim concerning prior sexual abuse of the victim by Locatena. Judge Seibel concluded that the government demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence that the abuse occurred and concluded that the conduct should be considered in determining the appropriate sentence for Locatena.
Locatena also testified at the hearing. He maintained that he did not engage in inappropriate activity with the minor victim, denied any sexual interest in children and insisted that he had “inadvertently” downloaded all the child pornography. In sentencing Locatena, Judge Seibel stated that much of Locatena’s testimony was “incredible” and “preposterous,” and she made a finding that he committed perjury during his testimony.
Mr. Bharara thanked the FBI, the Rockland County Computer Crimes Task Force, the New York State Police, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and the Orange County Child Protective Services for their work in the investigation.
In June 2011, Locatena was previously convicted, after a jury trial, in Orange County of criminal possession of a loaded girearm in the second degree and was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment. That sentence will run concurrently with the sentence imposed today.
The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Marcia Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.

Two Local Men Sentenced for Producing Child Pornography of Young Relatives

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX—Carlos Cortinas, 40, and Mark Anthony Stokes, 36, of Three Rivers, have received significant sentences following their convictions of sexual exploitation of a child, commonly known as production of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Both men pleaded guilty Monday, October 21, 2013.
Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey, who accepted the guilty pleas, sentenced Cortinas and Stokes to respective sentences of 212 and 140 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court considered Stokes cooperation with the government and the fact that Cortinas had victimized two children but recognized both men had committed the same crime in essentially the same manner. In handing down the sentence, Judge Rainey considered the need to protect the public and deter future criminal conduct. They will both serve 10 years of supervised release following completion of their prison terms and will also be ordered to register as sex offenders.
The investigation began on May 13, 2013, after police responded to a domestic violence call in Three Rivers. Stokes, who had been stabbed and cut by his wife, told officers that his wife had injured him after she discovered nude photos of minor female relative on a flash drive. Stokes admitted to a sexual interest in children for the past 20 years.
Several years prior to this incident, Stokes and Cortinas had a conversation in which both discussed their mutual sexual interest in children. Stokes told Cortinas he had nude images of the young female, which Cortinas asked to see. Stokes then sent some of the images of the child via text message from his cell phone. Within an hour, Cortinas then sent nude images of one of his minor female relatives as well. From that day forward, Stokes and Cortinas would send each other voyeur type images of these minor children taken without the their knowledge, as well as other child pornography images downloaded from the Internet. Cortinas also sent nude images of another child that he had taken. State search warrants were executed on both residences, which resulted in the discovery of evidence related to the child pornography production described by Stokes.
Both men will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
This case, prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lance Duke and investigated by the FBI, 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.”

Elyria Man Convicted on Human Trafficking, Drug Charges

An Elyria man was convicted of human trafficking, drug crimes, and obstruction of justice after forcing four females, including a 16-year-old girl, to have sex for money, law enforcement officials said.
Jeremy Mack, 38, of Elyria, was found guilty by a jury on all nine counts following a weeklong trial. U.S. District Court Judge Sara Lioi scheduled sentencing for May 29.
“With today’s verdict, Jeremy Mack’s time roaming our community and preying on the most vulnerable will finally come to an end,” said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
“The FBI is pleased with the guilty verdict for the despicable acts committed by Jeremy Mack,” said Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Office. “Thankfully, Mr. Mack will not be able to prey on and victimize children from where he is—behind bars.”
“This is an example of local police and federal law enforcement working together to make our community safer,” said Elyria Police Chief Duane Whitely.
Ashley Onysko, 24, of Avon Lake, previously pleaded guilty to charges related to her role in the conspiracy.
Count one charges that between December 2012 and April 9, 2013, Mack and Onysko conspired together to provide heroin and/or cocaine to four females and then, after the victims incurred drug debts, used force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to compel them to engage in commercial sex acts.
They did this, in part, by posting photographs of the females on backpage.com on a user account that Mack and Onysko created, according to the indictment.
In March 2013, Victim 2, a 16-year-old minor, went to Mack’s residence in Elyria after school, at which time Mack gave her cocaine. Mack later told and caused others to tell Victim 2 that she needed to engage in commercial sex acts. She did, after which she turned over all proceeds to Mack, according to the indictment.
From March through April 9, 2013, Mack brandished a firearm in front of three of the females. He choked and threatened to kill one of the female victims, according to the indictment.
Counts two through five charged Mack with forcing each of the four victims to engage in commercial sex acts by using force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion.
Counts six and seven charged Mack with distribution of heroin and cocaine, respectively.
Counts eight and nine charged Mack with obstruction of justice. Count eight charged Mack with advising his son, identified only as T.L., to “stick with the script” when testifying before the federal grand jury. Count nine charged Mack with providing money to Onysko in May 2013 to purchase personal items for Victim 4 and to advise the victim not to “flip.” He also told the victim not to speak with FBI agents attempting to contact her and advising her not to make incriminating statements against Mack, according to the indictment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bridget M. Brennan and Carole Skutnik following an investigation by the FBI and Elyria Police Department.

Cheektowaga Man Sentenced for Enticement of a Minor

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Salvatore Tantillo, II, 32, of Cheektowaga, New York, who was convicted of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie P. Grisanti, who handled the case, stated that the defendant met a 16-year-old over the Internet. Tantillo misrepresented his age to the victim, advising her that he was 18 years old. After communicating with the victim over the Internet for a few months, the defendant met the girl in person for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. It is a violation of New York State Penal Law for a person who is 21 years or older to engage in sexual intercourse with a person less than 16 years old.
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 Attorney’s 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 sentencing is the culmination of a joint investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; members of the Cheektowaga Police Department under the direction of Chief David Zack; and Lancaster Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gerald Gill.

Bonesteel Woman Sentenced for Child Abuse

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Bonesteel, South Dakota woman convicted of child abuse was sentenced on February 11, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Maria Janis, age 35, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in custody, three years’ supervised release, a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and $17,123 in restitution.
Janis was indicted for child abuse by a federal grand jury on April 12, 2013. She pled guilty on November 19, 2013.
Janis, her husband Robert Prue, and several minor children have lived in several states, including Arizona and Washington, before they moved to South Dakota and the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in the spring of 2011. Over an extended period of time, Janis learned Prue was sexually abusing some of the children. Janis said she believed the children when they told her about the abuse but would leave the children in Prue’s supervision nonetheless. Janis was also aware Prue had methamphetamine and alcohol problems during the time he was around the children.
Once in South Dakota, Janis learned Prue was persisting in his efforts to sexually abuse some of the children. Janis did not take steps to protect the children but continued to expose them to harm by leaving them with Prue while she would leave the house. Between June 22, 2011 and September 22, 2011, while in South Dakota, Prue engaged in efforts to accomplish sexual acts with one of the victims, a minor.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher prosecuted the case.
Janis was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Rochester Man Sentenced on Child Pornography Charges

ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced that Richard Bailey, 55, of Rochester, New York, who was convicted of distributing and receiving child pornography, was sentenced to 96 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who handled the case, stated that Bailey used peer-to-peer software to obtain and distribute images of child pornography. The defendant avoided detection by stealing other people’s wireless Internet connection to trade the child pornography. This conduct exposed people who were innocent of any wrongdoing to the risk of having search warrants executed on their homes.
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 sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian P. Boetig.

Greece Man Sentenced for Sexually Exploiting a Child

ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Terrance Junot, III, 37, of Greece, New York, who was convicted of online enticement of a minor, was sentenced to 12 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Frank P. Geraci. The defendant was also placed on supervised release for 10 years upon his release. He will also have to register as a sex offender.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring, who handled the case, stated that the defendant engaged in a series of sexually explicit online communications with a 13-year-old child who was a family friend. During those communications, Junot repeatedly talked about having sex with the child,and persuaded her to produce sexually explicit photographs of herself that he then made her send to him over the Internet. The defendant also sent sexually explicit photos of himself to the child during these chats in order to groom and manipulate her into sending her photos to him. The government noted at sentencing that the defendant would spend time with the victim’s parents during the day bowling, while at the same time sexually exploiting their 13-year-old daughter at night without their knowledge.
The case came to the attention of law enforcement after the child’s mother found naked photos of the defendant on her child’s phone. The parent recognized Junot and took the phone to the Greece Police, who began an investigation. When the defendant learned that law enforcement would be investigating, he erased all the photos, chats, and even the chat program he used to solicit and entice the child from his cell phone. This conduct resulted in a sentencing enhancement for obstruction of justice.
In the course of their investigation, Greece Police executed several search warrants and searched the victim’s cell phone. Following their discovery of sexually explicit pictures of the victim, Greece Police contacted the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force for assistance. This team, made up of agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigations and Homeland Security Investigations, as well as officers from the Rochester Police Department and deputies from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, continued the investigation, conducted forensic searches of the digital equipment in the case, and ultimately arrested the defendant on federal charges.
“It’s a message that I share with parents and guardians every chance I get—please keep a very close eye on what your children do online and on their cell phones,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “The mother of the victim in this case did just that, and now the predator that victimized her child will be spending many years behind bars. Let this case serve as an example to other parents to be on alert and if you suspect a problem, please contact police.”
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 sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of officers of the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Todd Baxter; special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian P. Boetig; special agents of Homeland Security Investigations under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James Spero; officers of the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Acting Police Chief Michael Ciminelli; and deputies from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn.

Bolton Man Charged with Child Pornography Offenses

BOSTON—A Bolton man was charged today in U.S. District Court in Worcester on child pornography charges.
Michael Hayes, 24, was charged with distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. According to the criminal complaint affidavit filed in November 2013, Hayes permitted an undercover federal agent, through the use of a peer-2-peer file sharing network to download a number of image files and video files that depict child pornography.
If convicted, Hayes faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, a five-year mandatory minimum, and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine on the charge of distribution of child pornography; and a maximum of 10 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on the charge of possession of child pornography.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Vincent C. Alfano, Chief of the Bolton Police Department, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Dineen Jerrett of Ortiz’s Worcester Branch Office.

Massachusetts Man Arrested on Charges of Enticing an Albany County Child

ALBANY, NY—United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Special Agent in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Albany Division, and Colonie New York Police Chief Steven Heider announced the arrest today of a Massachusetts man charged with enticing a 10-year-old Albany County child to produce sexually explicit videos of himself and to then send those videos to him by e-mail.
A criminal complaint unsealed in United States District Court this afternoon alleges that Brian Belanger, 21, of Worcester, Massachusetts, using the nickname “zombieshadow,” met the child online through Playstation 3. While talking through the game’s headset feature, Belanger told the child that someone was trying to kill Belanger and that the child could help him by providing sexually explicit videos of himself that Belanger could in turn give to the other person. It is alleged that Belanger directed the child what to do in the videos and that over the course of approximately three months the child e-mailed Belanger numerous times, attaching video files to the e-mails that depict the child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Law enforcement was alerted on January 25, 2014, when the child’s father found the e-mails and videos on the child’s iPad. The investigation culminated with Belanger’s arrest today at his Worcester, Massachusetts residence. He made his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Albany before United States Magistrate Judge Hon. Randolph F. Treece and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for 2 a.m. on Monday February 10, 2014.
Belanger faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment, with a maximum penalty of 30 years, potential fines of up to $250,000, and a required term supervised release of at least five years and up to life. A conviction would also require Belanger to register as a sex offender.
Members of the community in the Worcester, Massachusetts area who have concerns or information regarding this case should call (508)-792-0214. Those in the Albany, New York area with information or concerns should call either (518) 431-0247 or 1-(888) 539-4535.
The investigation and arrest of Belanger is the result of an investigation by the Colonie New York Police Department; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Albany Division; the New York State Police; the Worcester Massachusetts Police Department; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division 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, and 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 case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York.

Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling into the District of Columbia to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a Minor and Possession of Child Pornography

WASHINGTON—Matthew Scanlon, 31, of Pasadena, Maryland, pled guilty today to charges of traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and 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).
Scanlon entered the guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Rudolph Contreras is to sentence him on May 21, 2014. Scanlon faces a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment for traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct and a maximum of 20 years for possession of child pornography, as well as potential fines.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 10, 2013, Scanlon contacted an undercover officer with the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, who had posted an ad on a social networking site. Over the next few days, Scanlon engaged in e-mail and text message conversations with the undercover officer whom the defendant believed was the father of an under-aged girl. During this period of time, Scanlon arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child.
During the course of their communications, Scanlon also sent the undercover officer one still image and two videos of child pornography. On July 16, 2013, Scanlon traveled from Maryland to a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C. When he arrived at the meeting place, he was arrested. Pursuant to a search of an external hard drive seized from the defendant’s residence, law enforcement recovered approximately 225 additional 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
In announcing the guilty plea, 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 Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who is prosecuting the case.

FBI Recovers 14-Year-Old in Sacramento

Sacramento FBI Child Exploitation Task Force arrested Sean Daniels, 26, on allegations of trafficking of a child, pimping, pandering, and other sex crimes. Daniels was booked into the Sacramento County jail on February 4, 2014.
On Monday, February 3, 2014, late into the evening, local law enforcement encountered Daniels and a young female on light rail. After interacting with the pair, law enforcement determined that Daniels’ companion was a 14-year-old female from the Sacramento area whom the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force had been searching for since mid-January. During subsequent investigation, allegations that the child had been trafficked emerged.
The Sacramento Field Office of the FBI partners with a variety of law enforcement partners in multiple cities throughout the 34 counties in the Eastern District of California. In Sacramento, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and Sacramento Police Department work collaboratively with FBI agents in the field to identify and recover children who are victims of commercial exploitation while thoroughly investigating alleged traffickers.

Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Receiving and Distributing Child Pornography

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a 39-year-old former Luzerne Borough resident who admitted to receiving and distributing child pornography during 2012 through June 2013 was sentenced today to serve 15 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion.
According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, the defendant, Michael Shaw, pleaded guilty to the crime on October 23, 2013.
Shaw was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2013 for using a computer to receive and distribute child pornography.
The charge against Shaw resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lackawanna County Detectives, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office.
Judge Mannion also ordered that Shaw be placed on supervised release for 10 years following his prison sentence. Shaw must also receive sex offender treatment and abide by sex offender registration requirements after his release from prison.
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.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.

Former President of Bennington School Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison on Tax and Health Care Fraud Convictions

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that, on February 5, 2014, Matthew Merritt, Jr., 82, of West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after his guilty plea to charges that he engaged in a scheme to defraud a health care program and commit tax fraud. United States District Judge William K. Sessions, III, sitting in Burlington, also ordered that Merritt, Jr. serve one year of supervised release following his prison term.
Merritt, Jr. is the founder and former president of Bennington School Inc. (BSI). According to court records, the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont and the Office of the Vermont Attorney General previously entered into a global resolution of criminal and civil investigative matters concerning alleged tax and health care fraud by former officers of BSI. Pursuant to that resolution agreement, Merritt, Jr., along with his son, defendant Matthew Merritt, III, BSI’s plant manager; and his son-in-law, defendant Ray Crowley, who served as CFO of BSI, pled guilty to one charge each of federal tax fraud, which is a felony. In addition, Matthew Merritt, Jr. pled guilty to a federal felony charge of engaging in a scheme to defraud a health care program. To resolve potential civil health care fraud liability, the three Merritt family members have paid a total of $3,000,000 to the United States and the state of Vermont. Defendant Jeff LaBonte, the executive director of BSI, also pled guilty to a federal tax fraud charge and paid $1,300,000 to resolve his potential civil health care fraud liability. Of the total $4.3 million recovery, the state of Vermont has received $2,113,708, and the United States has received $2,186,292.
Until 2013, BSI, a for-profit, closely-held corporation, operated a residential program in Bennington, Vermont, that offered therapeutic and educational services for socially and emotionally challenged boys and girls. Over the course of the last two decades, the state of Vermont placed many students at BSI and was responsible for their tuition and other expenses. The funding for these placements came from the Vermont Medicaid program (approximately 60 percent federal funding and 40 percent state funding) and from several Vermont state agencies, including the Department of Education, the Department of Mental Health, and the Department of Children and Families. This funding was based on a per diem rate for each student, determined on an annual basis by the Division of Rate Setting (DRS) within the Vermont Agency of Human Services. The annual rate set by DRS was determined upon a review of BSI’s application materials, including various accounting reports and budgets. In particular, the formula for the rate calculated by DRS for Medicaid and Education payments to BSI was based upon the school’s reported allowable expenses. The higher the allowed expenses, the higher the per diem rate for each student.
BSI President Matthew Merritt, Jr. and Executive Director Jeff LaBonte, with the assistance of CFO Ray Crowley and Plant Manager Matthew Merritt, III, implemented a system of compensating certain employees of BSI by providing personal benefits, such as cars, gasoline, oil for personal residences, payments of personal expenses on credit card accounts, salaries for family members who did not work at BSI, and reimbursements for various personal expenses. These forms of compensation were never reported on the individual’s tax returns. In addition, these unallowable expenses were embedded in the books and records of BSI, which were used to create the reports, budgets, and other financial documents that BSI presented to DRS as accurate and allowable for rate setting.
The government’s investigation arose in 2011 following a request by BSI for a rate change due to reduced enrollment. In processing that request, DRS auditors took a close look at some of the financial information submitted and determined an audit should be performed. The audit, completed in 2012, resulted in a recalculation of the rate BSI received during the years 2003-2012. DRS calculated the total amount of overpayment by the state during those years to be more than $3.6 million. Under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729, and potential state law remedies, should the government prevail at a trial, the defendants would be liable for treble damages, as well as mandatory penalties up to $11,000 per claim. The defendants dispute DRS’s calculation, and the parties have settled to avoid further investigation and litigation.
For his federal health care fraud conviction, Matthew Merritt, Jr. faced a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years under 18 U.S.C. § 1347. For his federal tax fraud conviction, he faced a maximum prison term of three years under 26 U.S.C. § 7206. Pursuant to a written plea agreement, the parties agreed that Matthew Merritt, Jr.’s total term of imprisonment should not exceed 24 months. At sentencing, Merritt, Jr. asked that Judge Sessions impose no prison sentence, while the United States argued that Merritt, Jr. should serve the full 24 months in prison. In determining the 18-month sentence, Judge Sessions noted, among other factors, the gravity of Merritt, Jr.’s crimes, the fact that he engaged in the fraudulent conduct over the course of many years, and the harm Merritt, Jr.’s crimes cause the community.
For their federal tax fraud convictions, Matthew Merritt, III and Raymond Crowley each faced a maximum prison term of three years under 26 U.S.C. § 7206. Pursuant to a written plea agreement, the parties agreed that Matthew Merritt, III and Raymond Crowley’s prison terms should not exceed 18 months. In a sentencing hearing held on December 23, 2013, Judge Sessions sentenced Crowley to one year of probation, which includes six months of home confinement, and 200 hours of community service.
The same day, Judge Sessions sentenced Merritt, III to one year of probation, which includes six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service. Judge Sessions also ordered Merritt, III to pay an additional $30,000 fine.
For his federal tax fraud conviction, Jeffrey Labonte faced a maximum prison term of three years under 26 U.S.C. § 7206. Pursuant to a written plea agreement, the government agreed to make the nature and extent of Jeffrey Labonte’s cooperation known to the federal court and, as a result of his cooperation, request that the court sentence Jeffrey Labonte to a term of imprisonment below that recommended by the advisory sentencing guidelines. In a November 18, 2013 sentencing hearing, Judge Sessions sentenced Labonte to a one-year term of probation, which includes four months of home confinement and 100 hours of community service. Judge Sessions also ordered Labonte to pay an additional $30,000 fine.
The school continues to operate as a fully licensed residential treatment program. However, as of January 1, 2013, management and ownership of the programs at Bennington School were transferred to Vermont Permanency Initiative Inc., which is part of the Becket Family of Services. Matthew Merritt, Jr. has resigned as president and trustee of BSI, and Jeff LaBonte, Matthew Merritt, III, and Raymond Crowley have left the school’s employ.
This matter was investigated by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Unit of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. United States Attorney Coffin commends the investigative agencies for their hard work on this criminal and civil investigation.

Warren County Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving and Possessing Child Pornography

ALBANY—Gary Miner, age 45, of Glens Falls, New York, pled guilty today in Albany before United States District Court Judge Mae A. D’Agostino to one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Andrew W. Vale, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Albany Division. On the child pornography receipt count, Miner faces at least five years of imprisonment and up to a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment. On the child pornography possession count, Miner faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment. Miner was detained pending his sentencing.
During the plea hearing, Miner admitted that between January 2010 and November 29, 2011, he accessed the Internet and downloaded and possessed, from a website and other individuals who were distributing child pornography, approximately 600 files that contained child pornography.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 9, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. in Albany, New York. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rick Belliss.

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

WASHINGTON—Troy Shane Young, 41, of Elkview, West Virginia, was sentenced today to six years in prison for distribution and 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).
Young pled guilty to the charges in December 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Rudolph Contreras. Upon completion of his prison term, Young will be placed on 15 years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on August 24, 2012, Young contacted a man he believed to be the father of an underage girl on a social networking site. That man turned out to be an undercover officer with the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. Over the next few days, Young engaged in electronic communications with the undercover officer. During this period of time, Young sent the undercover officer approximately 10 videos and 22 still images of child pornography. Upon execution of a search warrant on Young’s residence, members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force recovered various computers, external storage devices, and other electronic equipment containing 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Chief Lanier praised the MPD detectives and the special agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force who investigated the case, and the special agents of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office, who assisted in the execution of the search warrant. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa Johnston and Jennifer Rada, of the Southern District of West Virginia, who assisted in the prosecution. Finally, they expressed appreciation to Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who prosecuted the case.

Repeat Offender Sentenced for New Child Pornography Violation

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX—Arthur Gregg Hutchins, 67, under supervised release for a previous conviction of possessing child pornography, has been ordered to prison again, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Hutchins was previously convicted in 2005 and released from prison in 2012. He was under supervised release when he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on June 24, 2013.
Following a lengthy hearing yesterday, Senior U.S. District Judge Hayden Head considered Hutchins’ demonstrated recidivism and the need to protect the public and ordered him to federal prison for 188 months. The sentence will be served concurrently to a five-year term of imprisonment ordered for the revocation of his supervised release in the 2005 case. He will also serve a new lifetime term of supervised release following his release, during which he will have to comply with numerous conditions designed to restrict his access to children and the Internet.
In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Hutchins presents a real and ongoing danger to the children of our community. The court considered the evidence seized in the case—the child pornography as well as written communications between Hutchins and other pedophiles. In those e-mails, Hutchins claimed to have himself been sexually assaulted, claimed to have personally sexually assaulted children in the past, and expressed a desire to sexually assault children in the future. Hutchins claimed that such writings were nothing more than fantasy. However, the judge rebuffed that denial and stated that society was entitled to take him at his word that he is a person who has and is capable of sexually assaulting children. The court further noted that his almost immediate return to child pornography following his release from prison in June 2012 was a strong indication that he is likely to reoffend.
Hutchins came to the attention of law enforcement from a CyberTip received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding a person who had posted child pornography images online beginning in September 2012. The images were posted to a popular online photo sharing website by a person using an IP address linked to the Corpus Christi area.
The IP address was later traced to the wife of Hutchins. Under supervised release and forbidden to reside near a school, Hutchins did not reside with his wife. The investigation was able to exclude the wife due to her work schedule and conflicting times associated with the online postings of child pornography. An investigation into his online activities and financial transactions led to his identification of the one responsible for the postings.
At the time of his plea, he admitted to possessing images of child pornography he acquired from the Internet.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Corpus Christi Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC).
Assistant United States Attorney Lance Duke is prosecuting the case, which 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.”

Sixteen Juveniles Recovered in Joint Super Bowl Operation Targeting Underage Prostitution

The FBI, in partnership with more than 50 law enforcement agencies in four states, recovered 16 juveniles during an enforcement action focused on commercial child sex trafficking. Additionally, more than 45 pimps and their associates were arrested, some of whom claimed to have traveled to New Jersey from other states specifically for the purpose of prostituting women and children at the Super Bowl. Enforcement operations in New Jersey recovered six juveniles.
“High-profile special events, which draw large crowds, have become lucrative opportunities for child prostitution criminal enterprises,” said Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners remain committed to stopping this cycle of victimization and putting those who try to profit from this type of criminal activity behind bars.”
The minors recovered during the Super Bowl operations ranged in ages from 13 to 17 years old and included high school students and children who had been reported missing by their families.
Additionally, enforcement actions resulted in the recovery of international human trafficking victims.
Over the course of the operation, the FBI’s victim specialists provided 70 women and children services such as food, clothing, and referrals to health care facilities, shelters, and other programs.
Today’s announcement comes after more than six months of localized FBI-led law enforcement preparation. Working with a variety of federal, state, and local partners, the FBI has provided training on how to identify and address child exploitation.
“Through partnerships, enhanced as a result of this operation, we hope to build a lasting framework that helps the community address this problem,” said Michael Harpster, chief of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Section. “It’s easy to focus on this issue in light of a high-profile event, but the sad reality is, this is a problem we see every day in communities across the country.”
The FBI’s Super Bowl operation efforts are part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative that was established in 2003 by the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, in partnership with the Department of Justice and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, to address the growing problem of child prostitution.
To date, the FBI and its task force partners have recovered more than 3,100 children. The investigations and subsequent 1,400 convictions have resulted in lengthy sentences, including 11 life terms and the seizure of more than $3.1 million in assets.
“As with Super Bowl security, the collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement in the operations targeting commercial child sex trafficking was unprecedented,” said Aaron T. Ford, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Newark Division. “The FBI and its partners remain committed to the identification and rescue of minor victims and to hold accountable those who exploit children for financial gain.”
The Newark FBI worked closely with the New Jersey State Police in executing these operations and would like to thank the following federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who participated in these Super Bowl enforcement efforts:

• Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations
• New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice
• New Jersey Department of Child Protection and Permanency
• New Jersey Department of Human Services Police Force
• Atlantic County Prosecutors Office
• Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office
• Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office
• Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office
• Essex County Prosecutor’s Office
• Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office
• Morris County Prosecutor’s Office
• Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office
• Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office
• Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office
• Bergen County Sheriff’s Office
• Hudson County Sheriff’s Office
• Absecon Police Department
• Bridgewater Police Department
• Cape May County Prosecutors Office
• Clifton Police Department
• Edison Police Department
• Egg Harbor Township Police Department
• Fairfield Police Department
• Hopatcong Police Department
• Little Ferry Police Department
• Mount Arlington Police Department
• Newark Police Department
• New Brunswick Police Department
• Ocean City Police Department
• Paramus Police Department
• Parsippany Police Department
• Paterson Police Department
• Pequannock Township Police Department
• Rochelle Park Police Department
• Roxbury Police Department
• Secaucus Police Department
• Somers Point Police Department
• South Hackensack Police Department
• South Plainfield Police Department
• Totowa Police Department
• Wayne Police Department
• Newark FBI National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• KlaasKids Foundation
• IST Research
• Polaris Project