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.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
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/.
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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/.
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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.
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.
Monday, March 24, 2014
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.
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.
Friday, March 21, 2014
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
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.
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
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
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
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.
“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.”
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.”
Monday, March 10, 2014
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.
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.
Friday, March 7, 2014
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.
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.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
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.
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.
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