An Exeter man was sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison after pleading guilty to a federal charge of receiving child pornography, U.S. District Court.
Robert Thompson, 40, has been in federal custody since Nov. 11m after being identified by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Fresno, working with the Fresno County Sheriff's Department, as having accessed Web sites containing child pornography.
Authorities reported finding a computer in his home containing child pornography along with computer-altered images in which the faces of two girls Thompson knew taken from school pictures were digitally placed on images of the naked bodies of other girls, according to a U.S. Justice Department press release.
Thompson pleaded guilty in March to the child pornography charge, and his sentence was handed down in Fresno by U.S. District Court Judge Oliver W. Wanger.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Ryan Christopher Lynn Sentenced for Distributing Child Porn
A 22-year-old Fresno, Calif., man has been sentenced to 210 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for using peer-to-peer file sharing technology to distribute child pornography.
Ryan Christopher Lynn, 22, received the lengthy prison term in part because of a court imposed sentencing enhancement for depictions of "vulnerable victims," which included videos depicting sex acts between minors and animals, bondage and other violent images.
The case is the result of an investigation by the Fresno Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which includes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Fresno County Sheriff's Department.
"People who download and possess child pornography are truly putting the world's youth at risk," said Brian Poulsen, resident agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Fresno. "The images possessed by the defendant in this case included scenes involving real children who were being sexually abused and exploited in horrific ways. ICE will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners to target those who commit these types of crimes and see that they are brought to justice."
According to prosecutors, Lynn was targeted for investigation in the spring of 2008 because he appeared to be making a large number of images of known child pornography available through a peer-to-peer file-sharing program. When agents executed a search warrant at Lynn's residence in May 2008, they discovered his laptop computer. A forensic analysis of that computer revealed approximately 175 video and 100 still images of child pornography.
The defendant claimed at his trial that he never knowingly received, possessed or distributed any images of child pornography. He also denied he had engaged in sexually charged Internet chat discussions with a girl he believed to be 15 years old. When confronted with that evidence at trial, he claimed his Internet account had been hacked, a claim that was refuted with forensic evidence from his own computer. The court enhanced the defendant's sentence for obstruction of justice, because he gave false testimony at his trial.
Lynn was convicted in March on one count of receipt or distribution of child pornography and he was remanded into custody on that date.
The charges against Lynn are the result of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood (PSC) and ICE's Operation Predator, initiatives designed to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation. PCS was launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to marshal federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov or call the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California and ask to speak with the PSC coordinator.
Operation Predator is an ongoing ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers. ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.
Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.
Ryan Christopher Lynn, 22, received the lengthy prison term in part because of a court imposed sentencing enhancement for depictions of "vulnerable victims," which included videos depicting sex acts between minors and animals, bondage and other violent images.
The case is the result of an investigation by the Fresno Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which includes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Fresno County Sheriff's Department.
"People who download and possess child pornography are truly putting the world's youth at risk," said Brian Poulsen, resident agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Fresno. "The images possessed by the defendant in this case included scenes involving real children who were being sexually abused and exploited in horrific ways. ICE will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners to target those who commit these types of crimes and see that they are brought to justice."
According to prosecutors, Lynn was targeted for investigation in the spring of 2008 because he appeared to be making a large number of images of known child pornography available through a peer-to-peer file-sharing program. When agents executed a search warrant at Lynn's residence in May 2008, they discovered his laptop computer. A forensic analysis of that computer revealed approximately 175 video and 100 still images of child pornography.
The defendant claimed at his trial that he never knowingly received, possessed or distributed any images of child pornography. He also denied he had engaged in sexually charged Internet chat discussions with a girl he believed to be 15 years old. When confronted with that evidence at trial, he claimed his Internet account had been hacked, a claim that was refuted with forensic evidence from his own computer. The court enhanced the defendant's sentence for obstruction of justice, because he gave false testimony at his trial.
Lynn was convicted in March on one count of receipt or distribution of child pornography and he was remanded into custody on that date.
The charges against Lynn are the result of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood (PSC) and ICE's Operation Predator, initiatives designed to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation. PCS was launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to marshal federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov or call the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California and ask to speak with the PSC coordinator.
Operation Predator is an ongoing ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers. ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.
Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.
Former Band Teacher Raymond Ferenci Sentenced to Prison for Child Porn
A former Tulare Western High School band teacher has been sentenced to prison time for child porn.
54-year-old Raymond Ferenci was sentenced to six and a half years in prison.
He was convicted of having two years worth of sexually explicit pictures of pre-teen girls on his computer. His sentence will be followed by ten years of supervised release.
Ferenci was arrested by Tulare Police, along with the Fresno Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force at his Visalia home back in November of 2008. The arrest stemmed from a seven month investigation which began after the Tulare Police Department received a report of Ferenci sending inappropriate text messages to three of his students.
One victim has filed a restitution claim seeking monetary compensation. A hearing in that case is scheduled for next month.
Prior to his arrest, Ferenci had taught at Tulare Western High School for 20 years.
_______________________
More Information:
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20090616/NEWS01/906160326
54-year-old Raymond Ferenci was sentenced to six and a half years in prison.
He was convicted of having two years worth of sexually explicit pictures of pre-teen girls on his computer. His sentence will be followed by ten years of supervised release.
Ferenci was arrested by Tulare Police, along with the Fresno Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force at his Visalia home back in November of 2008. The arrest stemmed from a seven month investigation which began after the Tulare Police Department received a report of Ferenci sending inappropriate text messages to three of his students.
One victim has filed a restitution claim seeking monetary compensation. A hearing in that case is scheduled for next month.
Prior to his arrest, Ferenci had taught at Tulare Western High School for 20 years.
_______________________
More Information:
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20090616/NEWS01/906160326
Monday, June 15, 2009
Six Sex Offenders Approved to Move to Green Bay
Six convicted sex offenders have approval to move into the city of Green Bay, while four others were denied.
The city’s Sex Offender Residence Board heard 10 cases Wednesday.
Those receiving approval:
♦ Cheng Vang, 25, convicted of third-degree sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl in 2003, will be allowed to move from his home at 1300 Dousman St. to a home at 3216 Windland Drive. Vang told the board he had a long-term relationship with the girl, with whom he had a child. He and his victim, now 20, live together and have been raising their 5-year-old son together. He had been charged with second-degree sexual assault of a child, but the charge was reduced. He received three months probation for it. The board’s vote was unanimous.
♦ Kenneth Erving, 50, will be permitted to move from 1494 Main St. to 517 Newhall St. He had applied in February to move into an apartment on Day Street but was denied because four other sex offenders lived nearby. He was convicted in 1987 of having sex with a 16-year-old girl, a crime that Erving states never happened. The board’s vote was 4-1, with Dean Gerondale casting the dissenting vote.
♦ Jerry Broadnax, 51, will be allowed to move to an apartment at 1215 S. Broadway from his current residence at the state-run Transitional Living Program facility at 1761 Shawano Ave. Broadnax had served five years in prison for first-degree sexual assault of a child for fondling a 7-year-old girl in 1994. The vote was 3-2, with Gerondale and Ben Heiman casting the dissenting votes.
♦ Joshua Lark, 32, of Gladstone, Mich., will be allowed to move into his fiancee’s home at 824 S. Chestnut Ave. He was convicted in September 2008 of having consensual sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl. Lark said the girl claimed to be of legal age. The vote was unanimous.
♦ Matthew Abad, 33, who raped a woman in 2001, will be permitted to move from the Brown County Jail into the state facility at 1761 Shawano Ave. Abad told the board he made sexual advances on the woman he met at a party, and when she resisted, he forced her. The vote was 4-1, with Heiman casting the dissenting vote.
♦ Miguel Barrientos Jr., 22, will be allowed to move from a motel in Ashwaubenon into the state facility at 1761 Shawano Ave. He was convicted in 2005 of first-degree sexual assault of a child. He said it involved consensual sexual relations with a 12-year-old girl when he was 16. He was charged three years later when the girl’s mother reported the incident to police. The board’s vote was unanimous.
All of the appeals that were denied involved inmates applying to move to the Transitional Living Program, 1761 Shawano Ave.
♦ Baylan Lewis, 29, an inmate at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility, expects to be released July 23. He was convicted in 1999 of second-degree sexual assault of a child, involving sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl, and in 1998 of fourth degree sexual assault of a child, involving sexual contact with a 12-year-old girl. The vote for denial was unanimous.
♦ David Neumann, 39, an inmate of the Oshkosh Correctional Institution, was convicted in 1999 of first-degree sexual assault involving 5-year-old relative. The vote was unanimous.
♦ Arthur Hance, 40, a Brown County Jail work release inmate, was hoping to be placed at the state facility until he could gain permission to return to his native Mississippi. He was convicted in 2008 of first-degree sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl. The vote was unanimous.
♦ Robert Berelc, 48, an inmate of the Brown County Jail, was convicted of first-degree sexual assault of a child in 1993, a case in which he forced a 10-year-old girl to perform oral sex on him. He was convicted in 2007 of soliciting a child for prostitution, for offering money to an 11-year-old Allouez girl in exchange for being allowed to touch her breasts. The vote was 4-1, with Louis Del Frate voting in the minority.
The city’s Sex Offender Residence Board heard 10 cases Wednesday.
Those receiving approval:
♦ Cheng Vang, 25, convicted of third-degree sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl in 2003, will be allowed to move from his home at 1300 Dousman St. to a home at 3216 Windland Drive. Vang told the board he had a long-term relationship with the girl, with whom he had a child. He and his victim, now 20, live together and have been raising their 5-year-old son together. He had been charged with second-degree sexual assault of a child, but the charge was reduced. He received three months probation for it. The board’s vote was unanimous.
♦ Kenneth Erving, 50, will be permitted to move from 1494 Main St. to 517 Newhall St. He had applied in February to move into an apartment on Day Street but was denied because four other sex offenders lived nearby. He was convicted in 1987 of having sex with a 16-year-old girl, a crime that Erving states never happened. The board’s vote was 4-1, with Dean Gerondale casting the dissenting vote.
♦ Jerry Broadnax, 51, will be allowed to move to an apartment at 1215 S. Broadway from his current residence at the state-run Transitional Living Program facility at 1761 Shawano Ave. Broadnax had served five years in prison for first-degree sexual assault of a child for fondling a 7-year-old girl in 1994. The vote was 3-2, with Gerondale and Ben Heiman casting the dissenting votes.
♦ Joshua Lark, 32, of Gladstone, Mich., will be allowed to move into his fiancee’s home at 824 S. Chestnut Ave. He was convicted in September 2008 of having consensual sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl. Lark said the girl claimed to be of legal age. The vote was unanimous.
♦ Matthew Abad, 33, who raped a woman in 2001, will be permitted to move from the Brown County Jail into the state facility at 1761 Shawano Ave. Abad told the board he made sexual advances on the woman he met at a party, and when she resisted, he forced her. The vote was 4-1, with Heiman casting the dissenting vote.
♦ Miguel Barrientos Jr., 22, will be allowed to move from a motel in Ashwaubenon into the state facility at 1761 Shawano Ave. He was convicted in 2005 of first-degree sexual assault of a child. He said it involved consensual sexual relations with a 12-year-old girl when he was 16. He was charged three years later when the girl’s mother reported the incident to police. The board’s vote was unanimous.
All of the appeals that were denied involved inmates applying to move to the Transitional Living Program, 1761 Shawano Ave.
♦ Baylan Lewis, 29, an inmate at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility, expects to be released July 23. He was convicted in 1999 of second-degree sexual assault of a child, involving sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl, and in 1998 of fourth degree sexual assault of a child, involving sexual contact with a 12-year-old girl. The vote for denial was unanimous.
♦ David Neumann, 39, an inmate of the Oshkosh Correctional Institution, was convicted in 1999 of first-degree sexual assault involving 5-year-old relative. The vote was unanimous.
♦ Arthur Hance, 40, a Brown County Jail work release inmate, was hoping to be placed at the state facility until he could gain permission to return to his native Mississippi. He was convicted in 2008 of first-degree sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl. The vote was unanimous.
♦ Robert Berelc, 48, an inmate of the Brown County Jail, was convicted of first-degree sexual assault of a child in 1993, a case in which he forced a 10-year-old girl to perform oral sex on him. He was convicted in 2007 of soliciting a child for prostitution, for offering money to an 11-year-old Allouez girl in exchange for being allowed to touch her breasts. The vote was 4-1, with Louis Del Frate voting in the minority.
Travis Brinson Harper Charged with Possession of Child Porn
A Waldo teenager has been arrested on charges of possessing child pornography following an investigation by the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Gainesville Police Cpl. Mitch Nixon, the task force's coordinator, said investigators tracked images of child pornography being traded over the Internet to the Internet Protocol (IP) address of Travis Brinson Harper, 18, a Waldo resident and recent Eastside High graduate.
Spencer Mann, spokesman for the State Attorney's Office, said that, after tracking images to Harper, investigators obtained a search warrant for his computer.
Harper was arrested Saturday and released that same day on $10,000 bond. Possession of child pornography is a third-degree felony. If convicted of those charges, Harper could face up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
A man who answered the phone at Harper's residence declined comment.
Gainesville police Detective Fred Cummings said the images Harper allegedly possessed on his computer were graphic and sexually explicit.
"This stuff is traded quite a lot actually, and that's what's being combated here," Cummings said. "For years, the Internet was virtually unpoliced. ... Law enforcement is in a position now to actually monitor this stuff."
Gainesville Police Cpl. Mitch Nixon, the task force's coordinator, said investigators tracked images of child pornography being traded over the Internet to the Internet Protocol (IP) address of Travis Brinson Harper, 18, a Waldo resident and recent Eastside High graduate.
Spencer Mann, spokesman for the State Attorney's Office, said that, after tracking images to Harper, investigators obtained a search warrant for his computer.
Harper was arrested Saturday and released that same day on $10,000 bond. Possession of child pornography is a third-degree felony. If convicted of those charges, Harper could face up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
A man who answered the phone at Harper's residence declined comment.
Gainesville police Detective Fred Cummings said the images Harper allegedly possessed on his computer were graphic and sexually explicit.
"This stuff is traded quite a lot actually, and that's what's being combated here," Cummings said. "For years, the Internet was virtually unpoliced. ... Law enforcement is in a position now to actually monitor this stuff."
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
Denis Wagner Admitts to Soliciting Sex from Children in Internet Chat
A Carmel Valley man who admitted soliciting sex from children in Internet chat rooms was sentenced to 90 days in jail Friday for possessing child pornography.
Denis Wagner, 72, was placed on three years probation and prohibited from being in the presence of minors without a supervising adult.
Retired Judge William Burleigh requested that Wagner not be required to register as a sex offender, but Judge Terrance Duncan rejected the plea and ordered Wagner to register for the rest of his life.
Burleigh said he hired Wagner to rebuild his Big Sur home after it burned down last year. He said Wagner's Internet activity was an aberration for the "brilliant designer" he spent time with on nearly a daily basis.
"I know him," he said. "He's just not that type of person."
Prosecutor Amy Patterson said content on Wagner's computer and his admissions of online conversations he had with children as young as 10 years old showed otherwise.
She said that on Wagner's computer, there were more than 400 images of children engaged in sexual activity, some of them requested from children he contacted in chat rooms.
"This is very serious," she said. "There are a lot of victims out there who have been exploited because of what he's done."
Defense attorney Larry Biegel attributed Wagner's actions to "social isolation."
"People have been known to satisfy social isolation by getting into virtual worlds," he said.
Wagner's ex-wife attended Friday's hearing to support him.
Wagner is among the writers who contributed works to "The Anthology of Monterey Bay Poets" and participated in "The Big Read: The Poetry of Robinson Jeffers" in October, the month before his arrest.
Duncan cited Wagner's age in sentencing him to less than the 150 days in jail that was recommended by the probation department.
At Biegel's request, the judge said Wagner could apply for home confinement, though he made no recommendation about whether that should be granted. He gave him until Aug. 5 to begin serving his jail sentence.
Denis Wagner, 72, was placed on three years probation and prohibited from being in the presence of minors without a supervising adult.
Retired Judge William Burleigh requested that Wagner not be required to register as a sex offender, but Judge Terrance Duncan rejected the plea and ordered Wagner to register for the rest of his life.
Burleigh said he hired Wagner to rebuild his Big Sur home after it burned down last year. He said Wagner's Internet activity was an aberration for the "brilliant designer" he spent time with on nearly a daily basis.
"I know him," he said. "He's just not that type of person."
Prosecutor Amy Patterson said content on Wagner's computer and his admissions of online conversations he had with children as young as 10 years old showed otherwise.
She said that on Wagner's computer, there were more than 400 images of children engaged in sexual activity, some of them requested from children he contacted in chat rooms.
"This is very serious," she said. "There are a lot of victims out there who have been exploited because of what he's done."
Defense attorney Larry Biegel attributed Wagner's actions to "social isolation."
"People have been known to satisfy social isolation by getting into virtual worlds," he said.
Wagner's ex-wife attended Friday's hearing to support him.
Wagner is among the writers who contributed works to "The Anthology of Monterey Bay Poets" and participated in "The Big Read: The Poetry of Robinson Jeffers" in October, the month before his arrest.
Duncan cited Wagner's age in sentencing him to less than the 150 days in jail that was recommended by the probation department.
At Biegel's request, the judge said Wagner could apply for home confinement, though he made no recommendation about whether that should be granted. He gave him until Aug. 5 to begin serving his jail sentence.
William Marshall Charged with Sexually Assaulting & Murdering Toddler
According to Metro Police, the toddler found dead in a dumpster last week was sexually assaulted and murdered. William Marshall has been charged in the crime. He is the boyfriend of the child's mother.
The police report spells out horrific acts of abuse. The attack against the baby was very violent.
According to police documents, Marshall was babysitting Shia but something went horribly wrong. Inside apartment 67, detectives found two divots in the drywall of the bedroom that appear to be the size of a toddler's head. They also found hair similar to the toddler's inside the apartment's empty freezer.
The coroner found evidence that Shia was also sexually assaulted.
"They're defenseless. This kid couldn't defend herself against a guy that's 230 pounds. That's unfortunate," said Metro Lt. Lew Roberts.
The FBI tracked both Marshall and the baby's mother, Darrean Williams, to Phoenix Saturday night. They were together, but police say the mom apparently had no idea her daughter had been killed until the authorities came knocking. "It is our belief that, at that point is when she actually found out what the fate of the child was," said Lt. Roberts.
According to the report, a family member told police that Williams is a prostitute who works in the Phoenix area. She left Shia with Marshall to "earn money" in Phoenix.
For now, the crime has left the community shocked and saddened. "I wouldn't think of doing nothing like that to defenseless children, and I think it's just horrible and I think they should be brought to justice," said neighbor Lekeshia Holloman.
For now, Williams has not been charged, but may face other charges of as child endangerment or neglect.
Jord Jordon IV Guilty of Possession of Child Porn
A York man pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography last week in federal court.
Jord Jordan IV, 26, of York will be sentenced at a later date, according to a press release issued by United States Attorney W. Walter Wilkins. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Evidence showed that Jordan paid for access to Web sites that sold images of child pornography, according to the release. In October 2008, Jordan admitted to federal law enforcement agents that he paid for and accessed these Web sites, the release states.
Investigators found numerous child pornography pictures and five videos, according to the release.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.
The program uses local, state and federal resources to prosecute individuals who exploit children over the internet, the release states. For more information, visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Jord Jordan IV, 26, of York will be sentenced at a later date, according to a press release issued by United States Attorney W. Walter Wilkins. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Evidence showed that Jordan paid for access to Web sites that sold images of child pornography, according to the release. In October 2008, Jordan admitted to federal law enforcement agents that he paid for and accessed these Web sites, the release states.
Investigators found numerous child pornography pictures and five videos, according to the release.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.
The program uses local, state and federal resources to prosecute individuals who exploit children over the internet, the release states. For more information, visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Jerry Ochoa Arrested for Sexually Abusing Child
A McAllen resident stood in district court Friday on allegations that he sexually abused a young girl several times during a year-long period.
A grand jury handed down a 10-count indictment against Jerry Ochoa.
Ochoa, 33, allegedly fondled and raped a girl younger than 14 years old several times between April 2007 and July 2008, according to the indictments filed in his case.
The indictments charged Ochoa with continuous sexual abuse of a child, aggravated sexual assault of a child, sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child.
It is the policy of The Monitor to not identify alleged victims of sexual abuse.
McAllen police arrested Ochoa on the sexual abuse charges on Aug. 28, 2008. He was released from the Hidalgo County Jail after posting a $100,000 bond about three weeks after his initial arrest, court documents state.
Ochoa was arraigned on six additional charges stemming from the grand jury indictment Friday in the 332nd state District Court. His bond was set at $85,000 for the six felony charges.
Ochoa remained at the Hidalgo County Jail on Monday afternoon. A pre-trial hearing in his case is set for June 29.
He could face up to 99 years in prison and a $10,000 fine upon conviction on the continuous sexual abuse or aggravated sexual assault of a child charges. The indecency with a child charges carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Joseph Lewis Smith Charged with Possesion of Child Porn
A San Carlos Park man awaiting a state trial for alleged child molestation is now facing federal child pornography charges.
U.S. Marshals nabbed Joseph Lewis Smith, 39, of 18562 Zinnia Road, on Friday, following a Wednesday indictment. Smith is charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receiving images from across state lines.
"I can tell you it's some of the worst child pornography I've ever heard of," Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Malloy said of the case.
At the time of his arrest, Smith was awaiting trial in state court on a felony molestation charge from February. Accused of molesting a girl in his care under the age of 12, he was released on bond the day after his arrest.
With Friday's arrest, Smith is now back in jail and scheduled for arraignment before a federal judge on Wednesday. A detention hearing at the same time will determine whether he stays in jail or is released.
Malloy said Lee County deputies notified FBI agents about the images during the Sheriff's Office investigation. Deputies searched Smith's house at one point, according to the arrest report from February.
According to his federal indictment, Smith received the images from as far back as January 2005. Malloy said they were especially graphic and involved young children.
"Sometimes people think this could be a mistake or a pop-up," he said. "These are thousands of images."
The indictment calls for the forfeiture of two computers and a USB drive at Smith's home.
Smith's February arrest followed accusations by the child, who was occasionally placed in Smith's care by her mother. The child told investigators that Smith had her undress to her underware, and that he would massage and touch her buttocks and vagina with his hands and with a vibrator.
As part of Smith's release, he was told to have no contact with the victim, through e-mail or texting, and he wasn't allowed within 500 feet of the child's house. He also surrendered his passport.
If convicted of the state charge, Smith faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. The two federal counts carry a maximum 15 years in federal prison.
U.S. Marshals nabbed Joseph Lewis Smith, 39, of 18562 Zinnia Road, on Friday, following a Wednesday indictment. Smith is charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receiving images from across state lines.
"I can tell you it's some of the worst child pornography I've ever heard of," Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Malloy said of the case.
At the time of his arrest, Smith was awaiting trial in state court on a felony molestation charge from February. Accused of molesting a girl in his care under the age of 12, he was released on bond the day after his arrest.
With Friday's arrest, Smith is now back in jail and scheduled for arraignment before a federal judge on Wednesday. A detention hearing at the same time will determine whether he stays in jail or is released.
Malloy said Lee County deputies notified FBI agents about the images during the Sheriff's Office investigation. Deputies searched Smith's house at one point, according to the arrest report from February.
According to his federal indictment, Smith received the images from as far back as January 2005. Malloy said they were especially graphic and involved young children.
"Sometimes people think this could be a mistake or a pop-up," he said. "These are thousands of images."
The indictment calls for the forfeiture of two computers and a USB drive at Smith's home.
Smith's February arrest followed accusations by the child, who was occasionally placed in Smith's care by her mother. The child told investigators that Smith had her undress to her underware, and that he would massage and touch her buttocks and vagina with his hands and with a vibrator.
As part of Smith's release, he was told to have no contact with the victim, through e-mail or texting, and he wasn't allowed within 500 feet of the child's house. He also surrendered his passport.
If convicted of the state charge, Smith faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. The two federal counts carry a maximum 15 years in federal prison.
Former Detective Richard Polk Sentenced to 71/2 Years for Child Porn
A former Phoenix homicide detective has been sentenced to 7½ years in prison after pleading guilty on April 7 to child pornography charges.
Richard Polk, 51, of Surprise, also received lifetime probation.
Polk pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and dangerous crimes against children, the attorney's office said.
Police investigated Polk after they found he had purchased child pornography over the Internet, the attorney's office said.
Police recovered numerous images and video of child pornography from Polk's home in a subsequent search, the attorney's office said.
May 20, 2008: Ex-Officer Indicted For Child Porn
May 1, 2008: Detective Charged With Child Porn Out On Bond
April 30, 2008: Phoenix Police Statement On
More Information: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/polk_sentenced_06_15_2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Steven Chalakee Arrested for Child Porn
An Egg Harbor Township man was arrested and charged Wednesday, June 10 with dissemination of child pornography and possession of hollow-point ammunition after illegal images were traced to his home computer, Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel said.
It is alleged that Steven Chalakee, 22, used LimeWire, an Internet program that allows the sharing of files between users, to make numerous images and videos of child pornography available to other users. Members of the Oklahoma City office of the FBI initiated the four-month investigation.
The FBI contacted the Prosecutor’s Office where the transmissions were traced to Chalakee’s home in the 6500 block of Delilah Road in Egg Harbor Township.
Authorities executed a search warrant June 10 and seized a computer and various other items believed to be related to the alleged crimes. They also seized multiple firearms and hollow-point bullets, ammunition prohibited in the state.
Chalakee is employed at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority in Egg Harbor Township as a trash collector. He is also a volunteer firefighter in Egg Harbor Township, according to a release from the Prosecutor’s Office.
The suspect was at work at the time law enforcement searched his residence. Members of the Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit approached Chalakee at 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 10 while he was on a waste disposal truck in Ventnor. He was arrested without incident.
The dissemination of child pornography is a second-degree crime, which carries a prison term of up to 10 years.
It is alleged that Steven Chalakee, 22, used LimeWire, an Internet program that allows the sharing of files between users, to make numerous images and videos of child pornography available to other users. Members of the Oklahoma City office of the FBI initiated the four-month investigation.
The FBI contacted the Prosecutor’s Office where the transmissions were traced to Chalakee’s home in the 6500 block of Delilah Road in Egg Harbor Township.
Authorities executed a search warrant June 10 and seized a computer and various other items believed to be related to the alleged crimes. They also seized multiple firearms and hollow-point bullets, ammunition prohibited in the state.
Chalakee is employed at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority in Egg Harbor Township as a trash collector. He is also a volunteer firefighter in Egg Harbor Township, according to a release from the Prosecutor’s Office.
The suspect was at work at the time law enforcement searched his residence. Members of the Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit approached Chalakee at 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 10 while he was on a waste disposal truck in Ventnor. He was arrested without incident.
The dissemination of child pornography is a second-degree crime, which carries a prison term of up to 10 years.
Former Officer Jason Huntsinger Sentenced to 1 Year for Purchasing Child Porn
Former Missoula police officer Jason Huntsinger was sentenced to one year in prison on Friday for purchasing child pornography over the Internet.
In addition to the prison term, Huntsinger, 38, must complete three years of supervised release and undergo sex offender treatment. In early March, he pleaded guilty to a single felony count of receipt of obscene material, which included pornographic images of children. The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years on supervised release.
Huntsinger appeared at the sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in Missoula wearing a dark suit, and stood alongside his attorney, Douglas McNabb of Texas. Family members of the disgraced former officer tearfully observed the proceedings, while several law enforcement officers who knew the man professionally also attended.
“I really don't know how to express just how ashamed of myself I am,” Huntsinger said. “I've severely disappointed my family and everyone else.”
Huntsinger spent nearly eight years as a Missoula officer before federal authorities seized computers from his office and the police union in September 2007. He spent about a year on paid, then unpaid, leave before resigning in September 2008.
The federal criminal charge involved Huntsinger's membership to a pornographic Web site that featured sexually explicit pictures of children under the age of 18. The site, which Huntsinger admitted to accessing over a computer belonging to the police union, was called “Lolitas on Holiday.”
Huntsinger paid for his online membership with a personal credit card, but listed as his address the U.S. Post Office box of the federal drug task force to which he was detailed.
According to court records, the files on Huntsinger's computers contained numerous pornographic images of children who could be considered adolescents or teenagers. However, he also had acquired “a huge collection of prepubescent children in erotic poses and inappropriate clothing and a small number of true child pornography images of little girls.”
A number of those images depicted children who were 5 and 6 years old, U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy said during Friday's sentencing hearing.
“There's a market for this junk,” Molloy said. “There is a genuine lack of human concern for these little children and it is ... promoted when people like Mr. Huntsinger are paying money to access these images.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia Hurd said the sheer number of pornographic images in Huntsinger's possession - literally thousands of photographs - evinced “compulsivity in terms of collecting, which will need to be addressed in treatment.”
Besides the standard conditions of probation, Molloy imposed a host of restrictions on Huntsinger's freedom to interact with minors. Huntsinger also is prohibited from going near schoolyards, possessing sexually explicit materials, and using computers with Internet access.
After touting Huntsinger's long dedication to public service and his commendable police work, attorney McNabb recommended a sentence of five years on probation. In a sentencing memorandum filed with the court, McNabb wrote that a probationary sentence is appropriate due to “Mr. Huntsinger's family circumstances (Huntsinger has two young children), his exceptionally low likelihood of recidivism, his public service and good deeds, his punishment by collateral consequences, his extreme remorse for his behavior, and his likelihood of abuse in prison.”
Huntsinger was hired as a Missoula police officer in January 2000 after serving as an officer in Downey, Calif. He quickly moved up the ranks in Missoula, serving as a sergeant and working on the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force.
Roughly a dozen letters were submitted to the court by friends, family members and former chief of police Rusty Wickman describing Huntsinger's dedication to his wife, children and the police department.
Prosecutor Hurd recommended a sentence of between 46 and 57 months in prison. Although Hurd agreed that Huntsinger's public service is commendable and should be taken into account when determining the sentence, his role as a police officer should not eclipse the gravity of his crime, she said.
“The fact that he was purchasing access to and knowingly receiving child pornography images while he was employed as a police officer for the city of Missoula ... balance the scale to the other side of public service,” Hurd wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “As a sworn law enforcement officer, Huntsinger is held to a higher standard of behavior in his life and is certainly held to the standard of obeying the law. Huntsinger's criminal conduct has had a negative effect on the Missoula Police Department, and has kept that department in the limelight while this case has been pending.”
Hurd said Huntsinger's remorse appears genuine, but added that he has repeatedly minimized the nature of his offense by claiming that the images were of “adolescent” girls.
“These are children under the ages of 12, some under the ages of 10, who are naked, spreading their legs exhibiting their genitals,” Hurd said. “I know it makes it easier to say it was teenagers, but that is not the case.”
Molloy said the period of incarceration is appropriate due to the “disturbing nature” of the offense, and because of his inglorious record of conduct at a prior law enforcement job.
In a March 2008 story, the Missoulian revealed that Huntsinger lost his job in Downey after he took explicit, evidentiary photographs of female crime victims. Ordinarily, such pictures would have been taken by female officers, then logged into evidence. Instead, Huntsinger took the pictures himself and kept them.
Huntsinger also was reproached for his handling of another female crime victim's case. That woman complained that Huntsinger was overly solicitous of her, prompting a complaint to the department. Those problems were detailed in Huntsinger's personnel file in Downey, but Missoula police failed to discover them when they vetted Huntsinger for the Missoula job.
Rumors of Huntsinger's misconduct cropped up in April 2006, when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement started an investigation into commercial Web sites offering explicit pictures of children. One of those Web sites was “Lolitas on Holiday,” and ICE agents identified Huntsinger as a customer. He paid $79.95 in December 2006 to join the site, a transaction that led to the September 2007 search warrant.
The subsequent examination of a computer belonging to the Missoula Police Protective Association, of which Huntsinger was president, revealed that he visited the Lolitas Web site as well as other sites trafficking in porn.
In addition to the prison term, Huntsinger, 38, must complete three years of supervised release and undergo sex offender treatment. In early March, he pleaded guilty to a single felony count of receipt of obscene material, which included pornographic images of children. The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years on supervised release.
Huntsinger appeared at the sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in Missoula wearing a dark suit, and stood alongside his attorney, Douglas McNabb of Texas. Family members of the disgraced former officer tearfully observed the proceedings, while several law enforcement officers who knew the man professionally also attended.
“I really don't know how to express just how ashamed of myself I am,” Huntsinger said. “I've severely disappointed my family and everyone else.”
Huntsinger spent nearly eight years as a Missoula officer before federal authorities seized computers from his office and the police union in September 2007. He spent about a year on paid, then unpaid, leave before resigning in September 2008.
The federal criminal charge involved Huntsinger's membership to a pornographic Web site that featured sexually explicit pictures of children under the age of 18. The site, which Huntsinger admitted to accessing over a computer belonging to the police union, was called “Lolitas on Holiday.”
Huntsinger paid for his online membership with a personal credit card, but listed as his address the U.S. Post Office box of the federal drug task force to which he was detailed.
According to court records, the files on Huntsinger's computers contained numerous pornographic images of children who could be considered adolescents or teenagers. However, he also had acquired “a huge collection of prepubescent children in erotic poses and inappropriate clothing and a small number of true child pornography images of little girls.”
A number of those images depicted children who were 5 and 6 years old, U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy said during Friday's sentencing hearing.
“There's a market for this junk,” Molloy said. “There is a genuine lack of human concern for these little children and it is ... promoted when people like Mr. Huntsinger are paying money to access these images.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia Hurd said the sheer number of pornographic images in Huntsinger's possession - literally thousands of photographs - evinced “compulsivity in terms of collecting, which will need to be addressed in treatment.”
Besides the standard conditions of probation, Molloy imposed a host of restrictions on Huntsinger's freedom to interact with minors. Huntsinger also is prohibited from going near schoolyards, possessing sexually explicit materials, and using computers with Internet access.
After touting Huntsinger's long dedication to public service and his commendable police work, attorney McNabb recommended a sentence of five years on probation. In a sentencing memorandum filed with the court, McNabb wrote that a probationary sentence is appropriate due to “Mr. Huntsinger's family circumstances (Huntsinger has two young children), his exceptionally low likelihood of recidivism, his public service and good deeds, his punishment by collateral consequences, his extreme remorse for his behavior, and his likelihood of abuse in prison.”
Huntsinger was hired as a Missoula police officer in January 2000 after serving as an officer in Downey, Calif. He quickly moved up the ranks in Missoula, serving as a sergeant and working on the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force.
Roughly a dozen letters were submitted to the court by friends, family members and former chief of police Rusty Wickman describing Huntsinger's dedication to his wife, children and the police department.
Prosecutor Hurd recommended a sentence of between 46 and 57 months in prison. Although Hurd agreed that Huntsinger's public service is commendable and should be taken into account when determining the sentence, his role as a police officer should not eclipse the gravity of his crime, she said.
“The fact that he was purchasing access to and knowingly receiving child pornography images while he was employed as a police officer for the city of Missoula ... balance the scale to the other side of public service,” Hurd wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “As a sworn law enforcement officer, Huntsinger is held to a higher standard of behavior in his life and is certainly held to the standard of obeying the law. Huntsinger's criminal conduct has had a negative effect on the Missoula Police Department, and has kept that department in the limelight while this case has been pending.”
Hurd said Huntsinger's remorse appears genuine, but added that he has repeatedly minimized the nature of his offense by claiming that the images were of “adolescent” girls.
“These are children under the ages of 12, some under the ages of 10, who are naked, spreading their legs exhibiting their genitals,” Hurd said. “I know it makes it easier to say it was teenagers, but that is not the case.”
Molloy said the period of incarceration is appropriate due to the “disturbing nature” of the offense, and because of his inglorious record of conduct at a prior law enforcement job.
In a March 2008 story, the Missoulian revealed that Huntsinger lost his job in Downey after he took explicit, evidentiary photographs of female crime victims. Ordinarily, such pictures would have been taken by female officers, then logged into evidence. Instead, Huntsinger took the pictures himself and kept them.
Huntsinger also was reproached for his handling of another female crime victim's case. That woman complained that Huntsinger was overly solicitous of her, prompting a complaint to the department. Those problems were detailed in Huntsinger's personnel file in Downey, but Missoula police failed to discover them when they vetted Huntsinger for the Missoula job.
Rumors of Huntsinger's misconduct cropped up in April 2006, when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement started an investigation into commercial Web sites offering explicit pictures of children. One of those Web sites was “Lolitas on Holiday,” and ICE agents identified Huntsinger as a customer. He paid $79.95 in December 2006 to join the site, a transaction that led to the September 2007 search warrant.
The subsequent examination of a computer belonging to the Missoula Police Protective Association, of which Huntsinger was president, revealed that he visited the Lolitas Web site as well as other sites trafficking in porn.
Keith Madsen Accused of Viewing Child Porn at Work
Keith Madsen, a 27-year old Helena man, has been accused of viewing child pornography on a computer while working as a file clerk at Fort Harrison's Veteran's Affairs Medical Center.
Madsen was arrested Wednesday after an investigation by an internet crimes task force.
He faces a felony charge of sexual abuse of children and could face federal charges.
The task force was called after VA officials suspected Madsen of possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, Madsen admitted to using the computer at the hospital to search for pre-teen pornography; a forensic review of his computer revealed the images.
________________________
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2009/06/12/local/80lo_090612_vaviewer.txt
Madsen was arrested Wednesday after an investigation by an internet crimes task force.
He faces a felony charge of sexual abuse of children and could face federal charges.
The task force was called after VA officials suspected Madsen of possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, Madsen admitted to using the computer at the hospital to search for pre-teen pornography; a forensic review of his computer revealed the images.
________________________
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2009/06/12/local/80lo_090612_vaviewer.txt
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