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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.