Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

United States Attorney Christopher A. Crofts announced today that on January 2, 2013, Aaron David Mbonu, a 36-year-old Citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, appeared in Federal District Court for sentencing before Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on a single count of sexual abuse of a minor. The charge carried a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment; a $250,000 fine; supervised release of not less than three years; restitution; and a $100 special assessment.
Mbonu received 51 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment and a $400 fine. The charge stemmed from an offense that occurred between March 6, 2012 and March 16, 2012, on the Wind River Indian Reservation and involved a victim who was at least 12 years of age, but had not yet attained the age of 16 years, and was at least four years younger than the defendant. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

U.S. Citizen Extradited from the Netherlands for Alleged Crimes Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

FRESNO, CA—A grand jury in Fresno today returned a seven-count indictment charging Christopher David Robinette, 43, of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, with crimes related to the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
The United States Marshals Service successfully completed the extradition of Robinette from Amsterdam, and he made his initial appearance in federal court in Fresno on December 26, 2012. He is scheduled to be arraigned on January 11, 2013, by United States Magistrate Judge Barbara A. McAuliffe. The United States Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), as well as the Dutch Ministry of Justice, assisted in coordinating Robinette’s extradition to Fresno.
The indictment has charged Robinette with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor on dates ranging from January 2003 through July 2009, one count of transporting a minor in interstate or foreign commerce for purposes of engaging in criminal sexual activity, and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. According to court documents, Robinette traveled from various locations to the Fresno area to sexually exploit a minor and produce digital still and video images of the abuse. The sexual abuse took place over the course of a number of years and in locations including the Fresno area, other locations in California, Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Netherlands. Robinette’s crimes were detected shortly after he uploaded images of child pornography, including images he produced, to a Microsoft SkyDrive account. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Alexandria, Virginia, assisted in coordinating information for a law enforcement response.
This case is the product of an investigation by Korps Landelijke Politie Diensten (Dutch National Police), the Amsterdam Amstelland Police Department (Amsterdam local police), and the Fresno Federal Bureau of Investigation Cyber Crimes Task Force that includes participants from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa and CEOS Trial Attorney Maureen Cain are prosecuting the case.
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 those who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Click on the “Resources” tab for information about Internet safety education.

Former Middle School Teacher in Federal Custody on Child Pornography Charge

FORT WORTH, TX—Daniel Oberlender, 45, a former choir teacher at Cross Timbers Middle School in Grapevine, Texas, was arrested yesterday on a federal criminal complaint charging transportation and distribution of child pornography. He made his first appearance in federal court this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton and was detained. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
According to the complaint filed in the case, Oberlender knowingly used the Internet and Skype software to share a video file depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The criminal complaint was filed after law enforcement executed a search warrant at Oberlender’s residence in Grapevine on December 18, 2012.
A federal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offenses charged, and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. If convicted of this offense, however, Oberlender faces a maximum statutory penalty of not less than five or more than 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release. The U.S. Attorney’s office has 30 days to present the matter to a grand jury for indictment.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem is in charge of the prosecution.

Blood found in car of Vegas dealer suspected of murdering 10-year-old girl

Blood was found inside a car borrowed by a Las Vegas Strip card dealer last seen with a missing 10-year-old girl and later arrested in the razor blade slashing of a co-worker at the posh Bellagio resort, a prosecutor said Friday.
Brenda Stokes Wilson was identified in court Friday as the prime suspect in the slaying, although prosecutor Robert Daskas told a judge that authorities haven't positively identified the girl found dead Thursday in an undeveloped housing tract in North Las Vegas.
"It's no secret the defendant is the suspect in the murder of 10-year-old Jade Morris," Daskas said as he convinced Senior Clark County District Court Judge Joseph Bonaventure to increase Wilson's bail from $60,000 to $600,000 pending the filing of kidnapping and murder charges.
Daskas said a weapon was used in the slaying, but he didn't elaborate.
Clark County Coroner Michael Murphy said it could be Friday afternoon before DNA testing is complete and he can positively say the body is Jade Morris. The girl was last seen by her family Dec. 21, when Wilson picked her up to go Christmas shopping. She never returned.
Wilson, 50, was arrested later that night after she was wrestled to the ground with razors in each hand following a face-slashing attack on a female co-worker, Joyce Rhone, at the Bellagio.
Wilson has been jailed on felony battery with a weapon, burglary and mayhem charges that could get her decades in prison. Police said she has offered no help in the search for the missing girl. Murder and kidnapping charges could get her life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
Wilson stood in court flanked by eight police officers as her lawyer, Tony Liker, clutching a Bible and a copy of the charging documents, asked the judge to postpone arraignment until Wednesday to give him time to meet with Wilson.
Liker declined comment outside court.
Police went public with the search for Jade Morris on Christmas Day, and the case received increasing attention after the relationship between the girl and Wilson became known. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson watched the proceedings in court Friday and called the case important for the community.
Wilson, who had been identified by police and prosecutors as Brenda Stokes, told the judge Friday that her full name was Brenda Stokes Wilson.
She used to date the missing girl's father, Philip Morris, and had a long and trusted relationship with Jade Morris, according to the missing girl's grandfather, Philip Tucker.
Philip Morris was removed from court Wednesday by armed court officers after shouting questions about his daughter's whereabouts to Wilson. He did not attend Friday's hearing.
Tucker said Philip Morris lived in Billings, Mont., and worked at a Flying J truck stop for more than a year. He would stay with Wilson when he visited Las Vegas, Tucker said.
Tucker said Rhone was Wilson's best friend and also knew Philip Morris.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the slaying. But Tucker said Wilson appeared to believe that Rhone and Philip Morris had become romantically involved. Tucker said he didn't know if Wilson's jealousy was well-founded.
"But whatever was going on with them didn't concern Jade," Tucker said. "How do you take a kid who loves you so much and hurt her?"
Jade Morris' family last saw the girl when Wilson picked her at about 5 p.m. Dec. 21. About two hours later, Wilson returned to another friend the red 2007 Saab sedan that she borrowed for the shopping trip.
Wilson allegedly had a razor in each hand when she attacked Rhone as Rhone dealt blackjack about 9:30 p.m.
Daskas said police have the vehicle and are testing blood found on the driver's door and steering wheel to see if it matches Jade Morris. Stokes later got a ride with a friend to the Bellagio, police said.
Rhone, 44, was hospitalized with deep cuts on her face, including one from her ear to the edge of her mouth. A police arrest report said Rhone also had several smaller cuts around her right eye.
Tucker said Rhone called him Saturday, speaking with difficulty and expressing surprise at the attack.
"She said, `I can't believe she would do something like this to me,"' Tucker recalled. "I said, `Was Jade with her?' She said she didn't know Jade was involved."
A police report said Wilson told investigators following her arrest that she visited her doctor last week, seeking to be admitted to a hospital "due to feeling like she wanted to hurt someone."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/28/las-vegas-police-find-body-believed-to-be-missing-10-year-old-girl/#ixzz2GNdSRPko

Virginia Man Indicted on Charges of Producing, Distributing, and Possessing Child Pornography

RICHMOND, VA—Adam Hobart Stanley, 35, of Manakin-Sabot, Virginia, has been indicted by a federal grand jury accused of producing, distributing, and possessing child pornography.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeffrey C. Mazanec, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement.
Stanley was indicted on December 17, 2012, and faces a 15-year mandatory minimum penalty for producing child pornography, a five-year mandatory minimum sentence for distributing child pornography, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for possessing child pornography, if convicted.
According to the indictment and an affidavit filed in connection with his arrest, in 2012 Stanley used a hidden camera to produce a pornographic video of a 12-year-old child. The indictment additionally alleges that during 2012, Stanley distributed child pornography videos and images over an online peer-to-peer network. The indictment also charges that Stanley saved numerous videos and images of child pornography on his computer equipment. He is currently being held in federal custody awaiting trial.
This case is being investigated by officers with the FBI’s Innocent Images Task Force. Special Assistant United States Attorney Gene Fishel of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov

Philadelphia Man Charged with Child Sex Trafficking

PHILADELPHIA—Rashaad McIntyre, 35, a/k/a “Sincere,” of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged today by indictment with one count of production of child pornography and three counts of sex trafficking of a minor, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.
According to the indictment, from at least December 2011 until at least June 2012, McIntyre was the operator of a prostitution venture in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As part of this venture, McIntyre recruited young females to work as prostitutes in his business. Three of the females whom he allegedly recruited and who worked for him were under the age of 18 years at the time. McIntyre allegedly created Internet advertisements in which he advertised various females as available for purchase for purposes of prostitution. These advertisements featured pictures of the females, scantily clad, and a phone number to call to arrange a meeting with a female.
The indictment further alleges that McIntyre produced a child pornography image of Minor 2.
If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison with a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on count one; a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison with and a maximum possible sentence of life on counts two through four, and a fine of up to $1 million, a lifetime period of supervised release, and a $400 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle L. Morgan.

MS-13 Clique Leader Sentenced to 210 Months for Child Sex Trafficking

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Yimmy Pineda-Penado, aka “Critico,” 22, of Alexandria, Virginia, was sentenced today to 210 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a gang-run juvenile prostitution ring.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Debra Evans Smith, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and John P. Torres, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.
According to court documents and testimony, Pineda-Penado, originally from El Salvador, became involved in juvenile sex trafficking through his membership in MS-13. He was personally responsible for prostituting at least one juvenile female. His involvement in MS-13’s juvenile sex trafficking scheme lasted from the fall of 2009 until the spring of 2010.
MS-13 members prostituted the victim at various motels and apartments in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, and Falls Church in Virginia, as well as in Maryland. The victim was not permitted to leave the prostitution scheme, and MS-13 members plied her with drugs and alcohol to make her more compliant while her body was being exploited for profit.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and HIS Washington, D.C., with assistance from the Fairfax County Police Department and the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Terwilliger and Patricia Giles prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Founded in 2004, the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies—along with nongovernmental organizations—dedicated to combating human trafficking and related crimes. From FY2011 to the present, 44 defendants have been prosecuted in 25 cases in the Eastern District of Virginia for human trafficking and trafficking-related conduct involving at least 32 victims.
Anyone who suspects instances of human trafficking is encouraged to call the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or to complete its online tip form: http://www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Anonymous calls are welcome.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.