An investigation into child pornography that began in Germany ended with a North Whitehall Township man admitting Friday that he filmed two children engaging in sexually explicit conduct and shared the images on the Internet.
Timothy W. Strobl, 29, of 2596 Prince Drive in the Highland Heights development, faces up to 60 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of production of child pornography. He also admitted to having 20,000 images of child porn.
Strobl was indicted in June after an investigation that began when the German Federal Police alerted U.S. officials in 2007 that someone from the United States was offering pornographic images of children online. All of the children were under 6 years old.
The German police searched one particular peer-to-peer file-sharing network and found several Internet Protocol addresses associated with Internet providers in the United States.
Agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement met with their German counterparts and investigated, eventually tracing the files to a computer in the Lehigh Valley.
Immigration agents issued a subpoena in 2008 to PenTeleData, the Internet provider for the Internet Protocol address that was tracked to the home where Strobl lives with his parents.
Federal agents raided Strobl's home in February and found three computers, three hard drives, two cameras and voluminous images of child porn.
In an interview with agents, Strobl said he had filmed and photographed several children, some only 3 years old, and uploaded the films and photos to a file-sharing network accessed by others interested in child porn, according to court files.
Prosecutors said Strobl filmed and took pictures of the children at an unidentified home in Nazareth. Some were in a bathtub, while others were on a bed or floor. Strobl shared more than 600 images online in 2006 and 2007, prosecutors said.
Strobl also admitted he had been collecting porn for more than 12 years.
He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and also agreed to five years' supervised release and payment of $500,000 in fines.
Strobl is scheduled to be sentenced in November in Philadelphia.
No one was at the Strobl home Friday afternoon. The stone-sided rancher sits at the end of the quiet development in North Whitehall.
His neighbors didn't want to talk about Strobl, some because they didn't know him and one because he didn't feel it would be right to talk about the case without knowing all the facts.
Court records show Strobl had only been charged with traffic violations before he was hit with the federal charges.
Showing posts with label Producing Child Porn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Producing Child Porn. Show all posts
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Brad Rocklin Montgomery Sentenced to Life for Sexual Assault
A Fallon man accused of sexual assault and unlawful use of a minor to produce pornography and lewdness with children will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Brad Rocklin Montgomery, 54, showed little emotion on Tuesday as Judge Will Rogers imposed the sentences that will run consecutively.
Montgomery had pleaded guilty to 10 charges of lewdness with a child under the age of 14, five counts of unlawful use of a minor less than 14 years of age in producing pornography or as a subject of sex portrayal in performance and one charge of sexual assault on a child under the age of 14.
Of the 10 charges of lewdness with a child under the age of 14, Montgomery was sentenced four to 10 years in prison on six of them and life in prison with a possibility of parole after 10 years on the other four charges.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Lane Mills mentioned the different sentence ranges were the result of when the crimes were committed. The Nevada Legislature changed the sentence ranges in 1996-97 for this crime.
On the charges of producing pornography or as a subject of sex portrayal in performance, Montgomery received life in prison with the possibility of parole after 10 years on each count, and on the sexual assault on a child under the age of 14, he was sent to prison for life with the possibility of parole after 35 years.
Montgomery's sister, Connie Barrier said her brother came from “good stock” with high Christian principles.
She told the court Montgomery has potential and asked for leniency.
“He has never been in trouble with the law before,” she said. “He is a good person.”
Mills attacked Barrier's claim that her brother came from good stock, and he asked if she was aware Montgomery said he was molested as a child from their father.
After she said she was not aware of it, Mills asked her if she believed her brother was a “liar.” She said she did not think so.
Mills said the case arose after a child had the courage to report what allegedly had been happening to him. When Montgomery was arrested in New Mexico, Mills said he had a hard drive computer drive with “vile, reprehensible material.”
“You only have to look at this for a second,” Mills said of the material seized from the defendant.
In 1996 and 1997 Montgomery was accused of video taping children as they exited school buses. Also recovered was a photo of a simulated sexual act with a stuffed pig and videos, including one titled “Toy.”
“When you look at this, this man deserves every consecutive (life) sentence allowed by law,” Mills said. “This is a signal to send to the world at large. He was one click away from sending this material to other perverts in the world.
He also said a photo was recovered of a boy wearing a baseball uniform which was the same team Montgomery coached in the Fallon Youth Baseball league years ago.
“This is a man with absolutely no remorse and blames the child,” Mills added. “He is evil. The message is pedophiles and perverts like Montgomery cannot do this to children. Throw the book at Mr. Montgomery.”
Public Defender Chet Kafchinski said he does not know if his client ever had a chance to succeed in life.
“He's never had been given the opportunity to grow as an adult,” he said.
Montgomery said he has looked back and researched his life to determine why he had these problems and committed certain acts.
Rogers said the court finds this to be one of the most serious cases because perpetrators like Montgomery are dooming children.
“I don't believe that as a society we can look away from that,” he said. “At this juncture sir, your life or whatever is left of it, will be spent in the department of corrections. I don't care about you. I do care about the people in the community.”
Brad Rocklin Montgomery, 54, showed little emotion on Tuesday as Judge Will Rogers imposed the sentences that will run consecutively.
Montgomery had pleaded guilty to 10 charges of lewdness with a child under the age of 14, five counts of unlawful use of a minor less than 14 years of age in producing pornography or as a subject of sex portrayal in performance and one charge of sexual assault on a child under the age of 14.
Of the 10 charges of lewdness with a child under the age of 14, Montgomery was sentenced four to 10 years in prison on six of them and life in prison with a possibility of parole after 10 years on the other four charges.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Lane Mills mentioned the different sentence ranges were the result of when the crimes were committed. The Nevada Legislature changed the sentence ranges in 1996-97 for this crime.
On the charges of producing pornography or as a subject of sex portrayal in performance, Montgomery received life in prison with the possibility of parole after 10 years on each count, and on the sexual assault on a child under the age of 14, he was sent to prison for life with the possibility of parole after 35 years.
Montgomery's sister, Connie Barrier said her brother came from “good stock” with high Christian principles.
She told the court Montgomery has potential and asked for leniency.
“He has never been in trouble with the law before,” she said. “He is a good person.”
Mills attacked Barrier's claim that her brother came from good stock, and he asked if she was aware Montgomery said he was molested as a child from their father.
After she said she was not aware of it, Mills asked her if she believed her brother was a “liar.” She said she did not think so.
Mills said the case arose after a child had the courage to report what allegedly had been happening to him. When Montgomery was arrested in New Mexico, Mills said he had a hard drive computer drive with “vile, reprehensible material.”
“You only have to look at this for a second,” Mills said of the material seized from the defendant.
In 1996 and 1997 Montgomery was accused of video taping children as they exited school buses. Also recovered was a photo of a simulated sexual act with a stuffed pig and videos, including one titled “Toy.”
“When you look at this, this man deserves every consecutive (life) sentence allowed by law,” Mills said. “This is a signal to send to the world at large. He was one click away from sending this material to other perverts in the world.
He also said a photo was recovered of a boy wearing a baseball uniform which was the same team Montgomery coached in the Fallon Youth Baseball league years ago.
“This is a man with absolutely no remorse and blames the child,” Mills added. “He is evil. The message is pedophiles and perverts like Montgomery cannot do this to children. Throw the book at Mr. Montgomery.”
Public Defender Chet Kafchinski said he does not know if his client ever had a chance to succeed in life.
“He's never had been given the opportunity to grow as an adult,” he said.
Montgomery said he has looked back and researched his life to determine why he had these problems and committed certain acts.
Rogers said the court finds this to be one of the most serious cases because perpetrators like Montgomery are dooming children.
“I don't believe that as a society we can look away from that,” he said. “At this juncture sir, your life or whatever is left of it, will be spent in the department of corrections. I don't care about you. I do care about the people in the community.”
Monday, July 27, 2009
Three Indiana People Arrested for Distributing Child Porn
A child pornography investigation that began in Hamilton County led to federal charges against three people from northeast Indiana.
A grand jury in Fort Wayne returned indictments against Brian L. Schinbeckler, 50, Fort Wayne, and Bernard L. Squires, 64, Columbia City, for distribution of child pornography, according to the U.S. attorney. Charges also were filed by the U.S. attorney against Christopher Ramirez, 33, Fort Wayne, for production of child pornography.
The charges come from an investigation of child pornography distributed through file-sharing programs over the Internet. Affidavits said the investigations were conducted by detectives with the Hamilton County Metropolitan Internet Child Exploitation Task Force, working as part of a larger task force of police departments investigating child pornography in cooperation with the FBI.
Affidavits said detectives checked the Gnutella file-sharing network for a specific network address and looked at the file names to see if there was a possibility that the files contained child pornography. When some of those files were found to be pornographic, police got warrants to trace the locations of the computers where the files originated.
In additional search warrants issued last week, computers containing the allegedly pornographic files were seized, which led to the federal charges against the three people. In one case, a wireless router and a laptop computer were found hidden under a refrigerator, according to an affidavit.
The U.S. attorney said more people could be charged in this case.
A grand jury in Fort Wayne returned indictments against Brian L. Schinbeckler, 50, Fort Wayne, and Bernard L. Squires, 64, Columbia City, for distribution of child pornography, according to the U.S. attorney. Charges also were filed by the U.S. attorney against Christopher Ramirez, 33, Fort Wayne, for production of child pornography.
The charges come from an investigation of child pornography distributed through file-sharing programs over the Internet. Affidavits said the investigations were conducted by detectives with the Hamilton County Metropolitan Internet Child Exploitation Task Force, working as part of a larger task force of police departments investigating child pornography in cooperation with the FBI.
Affidavits said detectives checked the Gnutella file-sharing network for a specific network address and looked at the file names to see if there was a possibility that the files contained child pornography. When some of those files were found to be pornographic, police got warrants to trace the locations of the computers where the files originated.
In additional search warrants issued last week, computers containing the allegedly pornographic files were seized, which led to the federal charges against the three people. In one case, a wireless router and a laptop computer were found hidden under a refrigerator, according to an affidavit.
The U.S. attorney said more people could be charged in this case.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Jared Yaffe Accused of Paying Baby Sitters to Bring Him Children to Molest
A San Diego man accused of paying baby sitters to bring him children to molest has pleaded not guilty to 20 criminal counts.
Jared Yaffe (YA'-fee), 30, entered pleas Tuesday to child molestation, kidnapping for sexual acts and production of child pornography. He faces up to 129 years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors contend Yaffe ran a child-porn ring last year and his five victims included a 3-year-old.
He fled the country but was arrested in Brazil in May. He's jailed on $5 million bail.
Attorney Knut Johnson said outside court it was unclear whether he would continue to represent Yaffe.
Another man, Aaron Zendejas (zehn-DAY'-hahs), 24, is accused of providing Yaffe with a victim and has pleaded not guilty to several charges.
———
Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, http://www.signonsandiego.com
Jared Yaffe (YA'-fee), 30, entered pleas Tuesday to child molestation, kidnapping for sexual acts and production of child pornography. He faces up to 129 years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors contend Yaffe ran a child-porn ring last year and his five victims included a 3-year-old.
He fled the country but was arrested in Brazil in May. He's jailed on $5 million bail.
Attorney Knut Johnson said outside court it was unclear whether he would continue to represent Yaffe.
Another man, Aaron Zendejas (zehn-DAY'-hahs), 24, is accused of providing Yaffe with a victim and has pleaded not guilty to several charges.
———
Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, http://www.signonsandiego.com
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Jeffrey Smiley Arrested for Child Molestation
A Spanaway man suspected of child molestation was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with aggravated sexual abuse for assaulting a young girl on federal property, an FBI spokesman said.
Jeffrey Richard Smiley, 36, was taken into custody near Military Road and 12th Avenue Court East in Spanaway by the Pierce County Sheriff's Office and members of the FBI's South Sound Gang Task Force.
Earlier this month, a 7-year-old girl told authorities Smiley had molested her in the woods on the Fort Lewis Military Reservation, FBI spokesman Fred Gutt said. Last week, at two locations in the woods, investigators reported finding camera equipment, children's clothes, toys, mattresses, and sexual paraphernalia.
Investigators also found and impounded Smiley's red 1992 Nissan Maxima, which contained pornographic images of the victim, Gutt said.
Smiley was charged in U.S. District Court in Tacoma.
The federal charge stems from an ongoing FBI investigation into the discovery of possible child pornography production sites on the remote eastern training grounds of Fort Lewis – an area near Spanaway that's accessible to the public – Gutt said.
Aggravated sexual abuse is punishable by a mandatory minimum thirty years imprisonment.
Anyone with additional information about possible victimization of a child is asked to contact the FBI at 206-622-0460 or seattle.fbi@ic.fbi.gov.
Patrick Davenport Arrested for Making Child Porn
A 22-year-old man who plays the Scooter mascot at Sussex Skyhawks games was arrested and charged with making child porn computer files available to others, according to a published report.
According to the New Jersey Herald, Patrick A. Davenport of Vernon is charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
Police said their initial investigation revealed child pornography on Davenport's computer, although a more detailed review of the hard drive is pending, prosecutors told the newspaper.
Davenport was being held in the Sussex County Jail on $50,000 bail.
Prosecutors told the newspaper there is no evidence of inappropriate behavior by Davenport at Skyhawks games.
The Skyhawks' general manager, Ben Wittkowski, said the organization only learned of the arrest Monday afternoon and was not prepared to comment. He said the team has a second person who dresses as Scooter for games.
According to the New Jersey Herald, Patrick A. Davenport of Vernon is charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
Police said their initial investigation revealed child pornography on Davenport's computer, although a more detailed review of the hard drive is pending, prosecutors told the newspaper.
Davenport was being held in the Sussex County Jail on $50,000 bail.
Prosecutors told the newspaper there is no evidence of inappropriate behavior by Davenport at Skyhawks games.
The Skyhawks' general manager, Ben Wittkowski, said the organization only learned of the arrest Monday afternoon and was not prepared to comment. He said the team has a second person who dresses as Scooter for games.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Dennis Michael Lemke Sentenced 30 Years for Making Child Porn
Sartell man Dennis Michael Lemke, was sentenced Thursday by District Court Judge for 30 years and a life of supervised release. Lembke, 43, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography as in April of 2006 he knowingly engaged a child under the age of 12 in sexually explicit acts to create pornographic images.
Lembke was originally suspected when a six-year-old girl who attended the day care that Lemke’s wife ran told her mother that she had been molested in October of 2006. In February 2007 investigators took a computer, electronic storage media and digital camera from his St. Cloud home on which investigators found a large number of explicit images of children. Lembke was jailed in July of 2008.
Lembke was originally suspected when a six-year-old girl who attended the day care that Lemke’s wife ran told her mother that she had been molested in October of 2006. In February 2007 investigators took a computer, electronic storage media and digital camera from his St. Cloud home on which investigators found a large number of explicit images of children. Lembke was jailed in July of 2008.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Dennis Lemke Sentenced to 360 Months for Producing Child Porn
A 43-year-old Sartell man has been sentenced to 360 months in prison for producing child pornography at the home where his wife runs a day care.
Dennis Michael Lemke was also sentenced to supervised release or life after a judge found him guilty of taking numerous photographs and videos of young children.
St. Cloud Police received a complaint in October that Lemke had inappropriately touched a girl, and a search warrant was granted to search Lemke's home.
FBI agents arrested Lemke just during a traffic stop in St. Cloud.
According to court documents, a camera seized from his home contained about 300 images of child pornography, and Lemke appeared in some of the photos.
Dennis Michael Lemke was also sentenced to supervised release or life after a judge found him guilty of taking numerous photographs and videos of young children.
St. Cloud Police received a complaint in October that Lemke had inappropriately touched a girl, and a search warrant was granted to search Lemke's home.
FBI agents arrested Lemke just during a traffic stop in St. Cloud.
According to court documents, a camera seized from his home contained about 300 images of child pornography, and Lemke appeared in some of the photos.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Grandmother Linda Davis Arrested for Sexual Exploitation of 4-year-old Granddaughter
Bond has been cut from $1 million to $100,000 for an Albuquerque grandmother accused of using her granddaughter to create child pornography.
Authorities charged 51-year-old Linda Davis with several felonies, including criminal sexual exploitation of a minor for allegedly making pornographic pictures of her 4-year-old granddaughter with her boyfriend, Christopher Gurule.
According to KOB-TV, state District Judge Charles Brown stipulated that if Davis is able to post bond, she will be released to her mother in Tijeras and that she will not have contact with the granddaughter.
Davis was being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in lieu of the $1 million bond since her arrest last October.
Gurule also has been charged in the case and faces charges of rape and child pornography.
Authorities charged 51-year-old Linda Davis with several felonies, including criminal sexual exploitation of a minor for allegedly making pornographic pictures of her 4-year-old granddaughter with her boyfriend, Christopher Gurule.
According to KOB-TV, state District Judge Charles Brown stipulated that if Davis is able to post bond, she will be released to her mother in Tijeras and that she will not have contact with the granddaughter.
Davis was being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in lieu of the $1 million bond since her arrest last October.
Gurule also has been charged in the case and faces charges of rape and child pornography.
Victor Isreal Martinez Sentenced to 17 Years for Coercing Girl to Pose Nude
A Porterville man convicted of coercing a girl under twelve years old into posing for sexually explicit images was sentenced Monday to more than 17 years in prison.
Victor Isreal Martinez, 30, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Fresno for one count of sexual exploitation of a minor through production of child pornography.
The case against Martinez resulted from an investigation by the Lindsay and Porterville police departments, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Fresno.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Fresno, Martinez admitted that on Sept. 8, 2007 in Tulare County he coerced the girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to take photos of her. The images were transferred to a computer and uploaded to two Yahoo! accounts, prosecutors reported.
Martinez’s sentence was enhanced because his offense involved sexual contact with a minor and because he distributed the images, prosecutors said.
In addition to 210 months in prison, he will serve a lifetime probation in which his access to minors, computers and the Internet will be restricted, prosecutors said.
Victor Isreal Martinez, 30, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Fresno for one count of sexual exploitation of a minor through production of child pornography.
The case against Martinez resulted from an investigation by the Lindsay and Porterville police departments, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Fresno.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Fresno, Martinez admitted that on Sept. 8, 2007 in Tulare County he coerced the girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to take photos of her. The images were transferred to a computer and uploaded to two Yahoo! accounts, prosecutors reported.
Martinez’s sentence was enhanced because his offense involved sexual contact with a minor and because he distributed the images, prosecutors said.
In addition to 210 months in prison, he will serve a lifetime probation in which his access to minors, computers and the Internet will be restricted, prosecutors said.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Carlos Witherington Arrested for Child Porn
A 43-year-old Belvidere man has been indicted on 53 counts of Aggravated Child Pornography.
Carlos L. Witherington is accused of possessing pictures of children under the age of 13 engaging in sexual activity.
Witherington is also accused of having videos of children under the age of 13 engaging in sexual conduct with him.
His next court date is set for July 10.
Police are looking for more information on this case. If you can help, call the Belvidere Police Department at 544-2135 or Crimestoppers a 547-7867.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Child Porn's Dirty Secret: Family Often Behind Lens
He told his young daughter he was going to make her a model.
He shot pictures of her in skimpier and skimpier outfits.
And when she slept, the Tampa man photographed himself molesting her.
He created a Web site, charging strangers to view graphic photos of his daughter. Pedophiles could write in and say what they wanted to see her wearing.
The man was discovered when investigators searching his child-pornography collection noticed that sheets in some of the pictures matched the sheets on his bed.
They also saw explicit pictures of a young girl being molested. Investigators recognized her from family pictures.
The case was not unusual, authorities say.
That's because when children are victims of pornography, the photographers and abusers often are their fathers, stepfathers and grandfathers.
"Some of the darkest stuff you see is produced in people's basements," said Stacy Arruda, who supervises the Tampa FBI's computer crimes unit. "The most common that we see in this area ... is parents and stepparents abusing their own children."
Nearly twice as many children in a nationwide child-porn database were photographed by their parents as were victims of online enticement. The number victimized by parents was nearly seven times that of children exploited by strangers.
There was the case of a Tampa man traced by a Pennsylvania state trooper investigating child pornography on the Internet. When investigators searched his home, the man's 12-year-old daughter was there. Later, as agents reviewed pornographic images on the man's computer, there she was posed on a bed when she was 7.
'Our secret'
Several years ago, prosecutors say, the parents of a 14-year-old girl established a Web site with graphic photos of their daughter. The mother bought the girl provocative clothing; the father took the pictures and molested her. When investigators searched the Tampa-area home, the girl's closet was full of garter belts, stockings and platform shoes.
Then there was the man who took pornographic pictures of his 9-year-old great-granddaughter.
"Make a pretty face," he would tell her.
"Don't tell anybody," he would say afterward. "It will be our secret."
The Bradenton man was prosecuted after his great-granddaughter told her grandmother about the photo sessions. Investigators reviewing photographs discovered the man's 7-year-old great-grandson also was a victim.
When investigators asked the girl why she took off her clothes for her great-grandfather, she said it was because you're supposed to do what your grandparents tell you.
These cases are a dirty secret, and not only in families.
Media reports almost always leave out the relationship between perpetrator and victim in order to protect the child's identity. Most media organizations have policies that bar publishing the identities of sexual assault victims, especially children.
For that reason, the suspects' names also are being withheld in this story.
"Most people would not suspect that a girl's own father would do it," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Murphy-Davis, who prosecutes such cases.
"It's really shocking," said another Tampa federal prosecutor, Amanda Kaiser. "When you first start, you think, 'How could parents do that? How could they sell their children?' ... It's just sickening."
Some fathers are seeking financial gain, Kaiser said. Others want sexual gratification.
"I think they're sociopaths," she said. "I don't think they have any conscience. I think they lack empathy, and to them, children are just a commodity to be used."
Since Arruda began her job 31/2 years ago, she estimates the office has investigated about 100 such cases. Technology costs are falling, making exploitation easier.
"Anybody with a digital camera can take pictures of whatever they want," she said.
Sometimes male relatives trade photographs with other pedophiles online, Arruda said.
Fathers can get away with being abusers because they can exploit the bond of trust, authorities say. They groom their children to accept what is happening and have the leverage to keep them quiet.
Sometimes, the mothers know.
"You've got one of two situations," Murphy-Davis said. "The mother knows about it, so they figure it's fruitless to tell mom, or they've told her in the past and she's like, 'You're lying.' Or there's just too much shame with going to the mother and saying, 'This is what the man you love is doing to me.'"
Sometimes, the mother supports the abusing father at the expense of the child. One Tampa mother wanted to kick her teenage daughter out of the house and make her live with her grandmother so the father could remain there while his case was pending. The judge was so disgusted he ordered the father jailed. The mother's letter in her husband's defense angered the sentencing judge.
Prison sentences
The charge of producing child pornography carries a prison sentence of up to 30 years; possessing child porn carries up to 10 years; and transporting or shipping child porn brings a minimum mandatory sentence of five years and as long as 20 years.
The Tampa man who created a Web site with graphic photos of his daughter pleaded guilty to all three of those charges and was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison.
"What law enforcement tends to be seeing is that the children who are being used to produce these images are kids being abused in bedrooms and basements and living rooms across the United States and elsewhere," said Michelle Collins, executive director of the Exploited Child Division of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The division is a clearinghouse for law enforcement to share information when children depicted in pornography are identified. Collins said this helps prevent defendants from arguing that the children in their pornography collections aren't real.
Since the program started in 2003, more than 2,300 children have been identified in pornographic pictures and videos, Collins said.
Of those, 27 percent were photographed by parents or stepparents; 24 percent by neighbors or close family friends; and 10 percent by other relatives.
Just 4 percent were photographed by strangers. The rest were photographed by coaches, babysitters, their parents' boyfriends and girlfriends, or by themselves, often after being enticed by someone they met online.
"The individuals who sexually molest are most likely to molest children who they're a trusted adult toward," Collins said. "That's why there is such a low disclosure rate of children who are abused."
He shot pictures of her in skimpier and skimpier outfits.
And when she slept, the Tampa man photographed himself molesting her.
He created a Web site, charging strangers to view graphic photos of his daughter. Pedophiles could write in and say what they wanted to see her wearing.
The man was discovered when investigators searching his child-pornography collection noticed that sheets in some of the pictures matched the sheets on his bed.
They also saw explicit pictures of a young girl being molested. Investigators recognized her from family pictures.
The case was not unusual, authorities say.
That's because when children are victims of pornography, the photographers and abusers often are their fathers, stepfathers and grandfathers.
"Some of the darkest stuff you see is produced in people's basements," said Stacy Arruda, who supervises the Tampa FBI's computer crimes unit. "The most common that we see in this area ... is parents and stepparents abusing their own children."
Nearly twice as many children in a nationwide child-porn database were photographed by their parents as were victims of online enticement. The number victimized by parents was nearly seven times that of children exploited by strangers.
There was the case of a Tampa man traced by a Pennsylvania state trooper investigating child pornography on the Internet. When investigators searched his home, the man's 12-year-old daughter was there. Later, as agents reviewed pornographic images on the man's computer, there she was posed on a bed when she was 7.
'Our secret'
Several years ago, prosecutors say, the parents of a 14-year-old girl established a Web site with graphic photos of their daughter. The mother bought the girl provocative clothing; the father took the pictures and molested her. When investigators searched the Tampa-area home, the girl's closet was full of garter belts, stockings and platform shoes.
Then there was the man who took pornographic pictures of his 9-year-old great-granddaughter.
"Make a pretty face," he would tell her.
"Don't tell anybody," he would say afterward. "It will be our secret."
The Bradenton man was prosecuted after his great-granddaughter told her grandmother about the photo sessions. Investigators reviewing photographs discovered the man's 7-year-old great-grandson also was a victim.
When investigators asked the girl why she took off her clothes for her great-grandfather, she said it was because you're supposed to do what your grandparents tell you.
These cases are a dirty secret, and not only in families.
Media reports almost always leave out the relationship between perpetrator and victim in order to protect the child's identity. Most media organizations have policies that bar publishing the identities of sexual assault victims, especially children.
For that reason, the suspects' names also are being withheld in this story.
"Most people would not suspect that a girl's own father would do it," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Murphy-Davis, who prosecutes such cases.
"It's really shocking," said another Tampa federal prosecutor, Amanda Kaiser. "When you first start, you think, 'How could parents do that? How could they sell their children?' ... It's just sickening."
Some fathers are seeking financial gain, Kaiser said. Others want sexual gratification.
"I think they're sociopaths," she said. "I don't think they have any conscience. I think they lack empathy, and to them, children are just a commodity to be used."
Since Arruda began her job 31/2 years ago, she estimates the office has investigated about 100 such cases. Technology costs are falling, making exploitation easier.
"Anybody with a digital camera can take pictures of whatever they want," she said.
Sometimes male relatives trade photographs with other pedophiles online, Arruda said.
Fathers can get away with being abusers because they can exploit the bond of trust, authorities say. They groom their children to accept what is happening and have the leverage to keep them quiet.
Sometimes, the mothers know.
"You've got one of two situations," Murphy-Davis said. "The mother knows about it, so they figure it's fruitless to tell mom, or they've told her in the past and she's like, 'You're lying.' Or there's just too much shame with going to the mother and saying, 'This is what the man you love is doing to me.'"
Sometimes, the mother supports the abusing father at the expense of the child. One Tampa mother wanted to kick her teenage daughter out of the house and make her live with her grandmother so the father could remain there while his case was pending. The judge was so disgusted he ordered the father jailed. The mother's letter in her husband's defense angered the sentencing judge.
Prison sentences
The charge of producing child pornography carries a prison sentence of up to 30 years; possessing child porn carries up to 10 years; and transporting or shipping child porn brings a minimum mandatory sentence of five years and as long as 20 years.
The Tampa man who created a Web site with graphic photos of his daughter pleaded guilty to all three of those charges and was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison.
"What law enforcement tends to be seeing is that the children who are being used to produce these images are kids being abused in bedrooms and basements and living rooms across the United States and elsewhere," said Michelle Collins, executive director of the Exploited Child Division of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The division is a clearinghouse for law enforcement to share information when children depicted in pornography are identified. Collins said this helps prevent defendants from arguing that the children in their pornography collections aren't real.
Since the program started in 2003, more than 2,300 children have been identified in pornographic pictures and videos, Collins said.
Of those, 27 percent were photographed by parents or stepparents; 24 percent by neighbors or close family friends; and 10 percent by other relatives.
Just 4 percent were photographed by strangers. The rest were photographed by coaches, babysitters, their parents' boyfriends and girlfriends, or by themselves, often after being enticed by someone they met online.
"The individuals who sexually molest are most likely to molest children who they're a trusted adult toward," Collins said. "That's why there is such a low disclosure rate of children who are abused."
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Former Teacher Charles Rogers Arrested on 76 Counts of Sexual Assault
Former Garrett Junior High School teacher Charles Richard Rogers pleaded not guilty today in District Court to 76 counts of sexual assault of a minor, lewdness with a child, use of a child in pornography and possession of child pornography.
In a small basement courtroom in the Regional Justice Center, Rogers, 46, appeared behind a glass wall in a jail jumpsuit and glasses and told District Judge Kevin Williams that he had a copy of the indictment against him and that he pleaded not guilty to all 76 charges.
Rogers, who remains in the Clark County Detention Center on $1.3 million bail, was arrested March 26 after police received a computer storage device containing child pornography that allegedly had come from his home.
The indictment lists incidents from 1999 through 2009 and names seven victims. It also notes that the identities of several children appearing in the pornography are unknown.
The indictment included two counts of sexual assault of a minor, four counts of use of a minor in pornography, 17 counts of lewdness with a child under 14, 50 counts of possession of child pornography, one count of open and gross lewdness, one count of attempted lewdness with a minor under 14 and one count of child abuse and neglect.
Six family members and friends attended the 20-minute hearing, and Rogers exchanged looks with them as his attorney, Bill Terry, spoke to the judge about hearing dates and procedures.
Rogers, who has diabetes and is a kidney transplant patient, did not look healthy, Terry said after the hearing. He added that he was glad to see that the Clark County jail had allowed his glasses to be delivered to him. The glasses had been an issue Terry brought up in earlier hearings before Boulder City Justice of the Peace Victor Lee Miller.
Rogers is set to appear before District Judge Michael Villani at 8 a.m. July 13 to set a trial date. Terry asked for the hearing date to allow time to ensure the grand jury transcripts are completed, he said.
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http://www.lasvegassun.com/photos/galleries/2009/jul/02/charles-richard-rick-rogers-arraignment/
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sengkeo Phanaphay Charged with Sexual Abuse & Production of Child Porn
Sioux City man has been indicted on federal sexual abuse and child pornography charges.
The U.S. attorney's office in Sioux City says that 47-year-old Sengkeo Phanaphay is charged with one count of aggravated sexual abuse, one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
The indictment, filed on June 19, accuses Phanaphay of crossing a state line with the intent to engage in sexual contact with a child under the age of 12. He is accused of enticing the child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a video.
Phanaphay remains in custody.
The U.S. attorney's office in Sioux City says that 47-year-old Sengkeo Phanaphay is charged with one count of aggravated sexual abuse, one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
The indictment, filed on June 19, accuses Phanaphay of crossing a state line with the intent to engage in sexual contact with a child under the age of 12. He is accused of enticing the child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a video.
Phanaphay remains in custody.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sengkeo Phanaphay Charged with Aggravated Sexual Abuse
A Sioux City man faces sexual abuse and child pornography charges. 47-year-old Sengkeo Phanaphay is charged with aggravated sexual abuse, production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. He allegedly crossed a state line with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a child. The indictment also alleges he planned to produce child pornography of that act. If convicted he faces life in prison.
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More Information: http://iowaindependent.com/16537/sioux-city-man-arrested-for-child-porn-sexual-abuse
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More Information: http://iowaindependent.com/16537/sioux-city-man-arrested-for-child-porn-sexual-abuse
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Jimmy Montano Charged with Sexual Exploitation of Child
A Clovis man is in jail following a reported child pornography raid at his home.
25-year-old Jimmy Montano is in the Curry County jail charged with sexual exploitation of children and manufacturing child pornography.
Investigators say they found child porn and materials to manufacture child porn on Montano's computer on Friday.
They say more charges are to come for Montano as they get more information from his hard drive.
He is being held on a $30 thousand cash bond.
He also was on probation for a first degree child abuse conviction.
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http://www.cnjonline.com/news/arrested-34164-sexual-exploitation.html
25-year-old Jimmy Montano is in the Curry County jail charged with sexual exploitation of children and manufacturing child pornography.
Investigators say they found child porn and materials to manufacture child porn on Montano's computer on Friday.
They say more charges are to come for Montano as they get more information from his hard drive.
He is being held on a $30 thousand cash bond.
He also was on probation for a first degree child abuse conviction.
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http://www.cnjonline.com/news/arrested-34164-sexual-exploitation.html
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Jamie Overstreet Sentenced to 20 Years for Making Child Porn
A Huntington man is headed to federal prison for producing, possessing and trafficking in child pornography.
29-year-old Jamie Overstreet was sentenced to 20 years in prison during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Huntington on Monday.
Back in December, Overstreet pleaded guilty of the charges.
Prosecutors say the conviction stems from an investigation in California of a person suspected of possessing child pornography and sharing it with Overstreet.
Authorities in West Virginia searched Overstreet's residence.
Prosecutors say it was clear that Overstreet was involved in a nationwide ring of individuals engaged in the sexual abuse of children, and the production and trafficking in child pornography.
Investigators found hundreds of images and videos of pre-pubescent minors engaged in sexual activity on Overstreet's computer. Many of these images and videos were produced by Overstreet
29-year-old Jamie Overstreet was sentenced to 20 years in prison during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Huntington on Monday.
Back in December, Overstreet pleaded guilty of the charges.
Prosecutors say the conviction stems from an investigation in California of a person suspected of possessing child pornography and sharing it with Overstreet.
Authorities in West Virginia searched Overstreet's residence.
Prosecutors say it was clear that Overstreet was involved in a nationwide ring of individuals engaged in the sexual abuse of children, and the production and trafficking in child pornography.
Investigators found hundreds of images and videos of pre-pubescent minors engaged in sexual activity on Overstreet's computer. Many of these images and videos were produced by Overstreet
Monday, June 15, 2009
Former Officer Paul Ewing Faces New Charges of Producing Child Porn
Federal prosecutors filed new charges against a former Portsmouth Police officer accused of taking indecent liberties with a minor.
Paul Alonzo Ewing now faces three federal counts of possessing child pornography, according to documents filed in Norfolk federal court on Friday.
Ewing already faced a handful of state charges, including five counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor and five counts of producing child pornography.
Ewing was a Portsmouth officer from November 2004 to his resignation in October 2008.
He was arrested in September and accused of raping a 16-year-old girl in 2007.
Paul Alonzo Ewing now faces three federal counts of possessing child pornography, according to documents filed in Norfolk federal court on Friday.
Ewing already faced a handful of state charges, including five counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor and five counts of producing child pornography.
Ewing was a Portsmouth officer from November 2004 to his resignation in October 2008.
He was arrested in September and accused of raping a 16-year-old girl in 2007.
More Information: http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/crime/local_wavy_ports_former_officer_rape_child_porn_20090615
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