Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that Arthur Gerald Reid, 27, of Macon, Georgia, pled guilty to sex trafficking of children on Monday, December 23, 2013. The defendant’s guilty plea was entered before the Honorable Hugh Lawson, United States District Court Judge, in Macon, Georgia.
In his plea agreement, the defendant admitted that beginning in September 2011 and continuing until February 2013, he prostituted a juvenile victim from various motel rooms in Macon, Georgia, and in Tybee Island, Georgia, through the utilization of backpage.com, an erotic services website. Mr. Reid was physically violent toward this juvenile victim. The defendant was encountered by law enforcement on February 26, 2013, at a Macon, Georgia, motel. In his custody and control was the juvenile victim connected to Mr. Reid's guilty plea, as well as two additional juvenile victims. Mr. Reid admitted to prostituting these juveniles through the utilization of backpage.com. Hidden within the motel room was a BB gun, which the juveniles believed to be an authentic firearm.
At sentencing, Mr. Reid will be subject to a maximum statutory penalty of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine of $250,000, or both and a term of supervised release of five years up to lifetime supervision. Mr. Reid will also be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to potential additional prosecution should he fail to register as required by Title 18, United States Code, Section 2250.
“The defendant seized upon the opportunity to exploit these vulnerable victims. All children deserve to be safe from predators like the defendant, and it is the duty of the law to protect them. These three victims are not alone, and my office will continue to vigilantly prosecute any and all who seek to gain from the abuse of children,” said United States Attorney Michael J. Moore.
Showing posts with label sex offender. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sex offender. Show all posts
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Monday, September 23, 2013
Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to New Offense
BOISE—Jeremy E. Durkin, 35, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, pleaded guilty in federal court on September 19, 2013, to use of a facility of interstate commerce to transmit information about a minor, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced
According to the plea agreement, the matter came to the attention of law enforcement on September 23, 2010, when, during routine cell search at the Idaho State Correctional Institution, a correctional officer found a letter on Durkin’s bunk that referenced a Yahoo e-mail account. The letter, written by Durkin, referred to the intended recipient as “you sexy 16-year-old.” In the letter, Durkin is asking someone he referred to in the greeting as “my Love,” to keep his (Durkin’s) Yahoo e-mail account active by logging on to it once a month and deleting all incoming mail. The letter further states, “This way I wont loose [sic] all the photos have up there. I don’t really want to ask anybody else cuz there is naked photos of you that I don’t want anybody to see.”
The FBI identified the victim as a high school student in Oregon. When interviewed, the youth told investigators that Durkin initiated contact in December 2009 via Facebook. The victim further stated that Durkin (who was not known by the victim prior to that time) persuaded the victim to call him at a telephone number in Idaho. The two spoke telephonically and “hit it off,” according to the victim. Durkin initially gave a false name but not long after they met online, told the youth his true name. According to the victim, Durkin knew the teenager was 15 years old at the time.
According to the victim, from December 2009 until the summer 2010, Durkin was in constant contact via e-mail, telephone and U.S. mail. The youth described their relationship as being almost immediately romantic and sexual and said they exchanged sexually explicit photos. A search of Durkin’s Yahoo account confirmed the allegations. The two never met in person; their relationship was entirely via telephone, e-mail, and U.S. mail.
In 2005, Durkin pleaded guilty in Kootenai County, Idaho, to one count of lewd conduct with a child under age 16. He was on parole and out of custody at the time the incidents occurred that resulted in the new federal charges. Durkin’s parole was revoked in 2010, and he was returned to prison. He is currently serving a state prison sentence on the Kootenai County case and is scheduled for release in 2016.
The federal charge of using a facility of interstate commerce to transmit information about a minor, when committed by a person convicted of a prior sex offense, is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to lifetime supervised release.
Sentencing is set is for December 2, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Idaho Department of Correction. Both agencies are southern Idaho members of the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a statewide coalition of local, state, and federal law enforcement and prosecution agencies focused on apprehending and prosecuting individuals who use the Internet to criminally exploit children. For more information about the Idaho ICAC Task Force and a list of all the participating agencies, visit www.icacidaho.org.
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.”
According to the plea agreement, the matter came to the attention of law enforcement on September 23, 2010, when, during routine cell search at the Idaho State Correctional Institution, a correctional officer found a letter on Durkin’s bunk that referenced a Yahoo e-mail account. The letter, written by Durkin, referred to the intended recipient as “you sexy 16-year-old.” In the letter, Durkin is asking someone he referred to in the greeting as “my Love,” to keep his (Durkin’s) Yahoo e-mail account active by logging on to it once a month and deleting all incoming mail. The letter further states, “This way I wont loose [sic] all the photos have up there. I don’t really want to ask anybody else cuz there is naked photos of you that I don’t want anybody to see.”
The FBI identified the victim as a high school student in Oregon. When interviewed, the youth told investigators that Durkin initiated contact in December 2009 via Facebook. The victim further stated that Durkin (who was not known by the victim prior to that time) persuaded the victim to call him at a telephone number in Idaho. The two spoke telephonically and “hit it off,” according to the victim. Durkin initially gave a false name but not long after they met online, told the youth his true name. According to the victim, Durkin knew the teenager was 15 years old at the time.
According to the victim, from December 2009 until the summer 2010, Durkin was in constant contact via e-mail, telephone and U.S. mail. The youth described their relationship as being almost immediately romantic and sexual and said they exchanged sexually explicit photos. A search of Durkin’s Yahoo account confirmed the allegations. The two never met in person; their relationship was entirely via telephone, e-mail, and U.S. mail.
In 2005, Durkin pleaded guilty in Kootenai County, Idaho, to one count of lewd conduct with a child under age 16. He was on parole and out of custody at the time the incidents occurred that resulted in the new federal charges. Durkin’s parole was revoked in 2010, and he was returned to prison. He is currently serving a state prison sentence on the Kootenai County case and is scheduled for release in 2016.
The federal charge of using a facility of interstate commerce to transmit information about a minor, when committed by a person convicted of a prior sex offense, is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to lifetime supervised release.
Sentencing is set is for December 2, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Idaho Department of Correction. Both agencies are southern Idaho members of the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a statewide coalition of local, state, and federal law enforcement and prosecution agencies focused on apprehending and prosecuting individuals who use the Internet to criminally exploit children. For more information about the Idaho ICAC Task Force and a list of all the participating agencies, visit www.icacidaho.org.
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.”
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Pornography
SPOKANE—Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Kyle Splattstoesser, age 43, of Ritzville, Washington, was sentenced after having previously pleaded guilty on May 14, 2013, to possession of child pornography. Senior United States District Court Judge Robert Whaley sentenced Splattstoesser to a 10-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a life-term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison. Splattstoesser has a prior federal conviction in 2006 for possession of child pornography and is a registered sex offender.
According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, in March 2010, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Grant County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation of a mother using her children to produce images of child pornography. The mother, Pamela Ortega, plead guilty to three counts of rape of a minor and was sentenced in Washington State to 300 months’ imprisonment. As a result of the investigation into Ortega, law enforcement determined that one of the individuals she was communicating with about child pornography images was Kyle Splattstoesser. On April 29, 2011, the FBI executed a search warrant at Splattstoesser’s residence and ultimately located a laptop computer that contained images of child pornography.
Michael C. Ormsby stated, “The United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Washington continues to prosecute aggressively and seek appropriate punishment for child pornography crimes. The successful prosecution of this case is the direct result of the strong working partnership between federal and local law enforcement officers in the Eastern District of Washington.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States 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. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (PSC) has five major components:
This investigation was conducted the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Stephanie J. Lister, an Assistant United States Attorney and PSC Coordinator for the Eastern District of Washington.
According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, in March 2010, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Grant County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation of a mother using her children to produce images of child pornography. The mother, Pamela Ortega, plead guilty to three counts of rape of a minor and was sentenced in Washington State to 300 months’ imprisonment. As a result of the investigation into Ortega, law enforcement determined that one of the individuals she was communicating with about child pornography images was Kyle Splattstoesser. On April 29, 2011, the FBI executed a search warrant at Splattstoesser’s residence and ultimately located a laptop computer that contained images of child pornography.
Michael C. Ormsby stated, “The United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Washington continues to prosecute aggressively and seek appropriate punishment for child pornography crimes. The successful prosecution of this case is the direct result of the strong working partnership between federal and local law enforcement officers in the Eastern District of Washington.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States 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. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (PSC) has five major components:
- Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue child victims
- Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives
- Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases
- Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents
- Community awareness and educational programs
This investigation was conducted the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Stephanie J. Lister, an Assistant United States Attorney and PSC Coordinator for the Eastern District of Washington.
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