A Homeland man was been sentenced to a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison for his participation in a file sharing network in which members traded child pornography, announced AndrĂ© Birotte, Jr., the United States Attorney for the Central District of California; and Timothy Delaney, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Division.
George Devinna, 74, was sentenced by United States District Judge S. James Otero late Thursday, July 27, to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. On April 2, Devinna pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. Devinna, who has two prior federal child pornography convictions, has been in custody since his arrest in December 2011.
Devinna was charged in a criminal complaint filed on December 9, 2011, with the possession, distribution, and receipt of child pornography. During 2011, agents conducting an investigation of illegal file-sharing networks in Rochester, New York and Los Angeles uncovered several images depicting child pornography. Further investigation and subsequent Internet subscriber checks identified the distributor of the illicit images as George Devinna, with an address that matched his Homeland residence. The downloaded images linked to Devinna’s computer included sexually explicit photographs of pre-teen boys.
Fresno, CA
Michael Scott Cooper, 43, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii to three years and one in prison for possession of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, Cooper possessed images and videos depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct on his computer. Many of the images depicted prepubescent minors. Cooper was a teacher at Loudan Elementary School in Bakersfield. He was arrested on October 7, 2010. He has been in custody since his guilty plea on May 21, 2012.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stanley Boone prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
Lexington, KY
A 22-year-old Lexington man faces child pornography charges after a Kentucky State Police undercover investigation, authorities said Monday.
Andrew Fishback was charged with three counts of possession of matter portraying sexual performance by a minor and one count of distribution of matter portraying sexual performance by a minor.
The state police Frankfort post and Lexington police executed a search warrant July 26 at 321 Lafayette Parkway, near Lafayette High School, after several months of of undercover investigation, according to a state police press release Monday. The investigation continues.
Bakersfield, CA
Ridgecrest resident Ralph Michael Smith, 53, pleaded guilty today in to receiving child pornography. Smith was taken into custody at the conclusion of today’s hearing.
According to the plea agreement, between September 10, 2010 and October 17, 2010 Smith received via the Internet more than 600 images depicting minors engaged sexually explicit conduct. The images also involved the portrayal of sadistic, masochistic, and other depictions of violence. Several of the minors depicted were prepubescent minors. Smith was charged on June 9, 2011, and is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Anthony W. Ishii on October 9, 2012.
San Diego, Ca
A former Qualcomm software engineer accused of accessing child pornography via the company's network was advised of the charges against him Monday during his initial appearance in San Diego federal court.
David Anthony Nemanich, who was arrested Friday morning at his San Diego home, is charged with receipt of images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Seymour, IN
United States Attorney Joseph H. Hogsett announced this morning the indictment of Seymour resident Lance B. Grant, a/k/a Brandon Grant, age 29, on charges of both possessing and producing sexually explicit material involving minors.
“Protecting Hoosier children is a top priority of this office, and we take that obligation very seriously,” Hogsett said. “Thanks to the tireless work of our nationally recognized Project Safe Childhood team, we are more committed than ever to identifying and prosecuting anyone who seeks to exploit and victimize young people.”
The indictment alleges that on July 19, 2012, Grant was found by law enforcement to possess a number of videos and images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment identifies 14 specific videos and still images possessed by Grant on his desktop computer.
Grant is also charged with three counts of producing sexually explicit material involving a minor female between January 22 and June 10, 2012. The indictment alleges that Grant produced sexually explicit images of the minor female using a digital camera and his desktop computer.
Omaha, NE
United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Bryan James Christensen, 26, formerly of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced yesterday in Lincoln, Nebraska, to two years in prison by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for possession of child pornography. After serving his prison term, Christensen will also be required to serve five years of supervised release and register as a sex offender. The computer equipment used by Christensen was also forfeited to the United States.
In January 2008, the FBI was conducting a nationwide initiative targeting the transmission of child pornography over peer-to-peer networks. At that time, an FBI agent was able to download various files of child pornography using an Internet protocol address that the agent could access. The IP address was assigned to an address in Lincoln, Nebraska, which had been the residence of Mr. Christensen. The FBI further determined that the IP address that belonged to Christensen in January 2008, had up to 200 images of child pornography that were available for distribution over the peer-to-peer network. A later forensic exam of the computer equipment utilized by Christensen confirmed the possession of child pornography.
Minneapolis, MN
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Wakpala man charged with aggravated sexual abuse of a child was sentenced on July 30, 2012, by United States District Judge Charles B. Kornmann. Gerard Deshauquette, a/k/a Gerard Desheuquette, age 22, was sentenced to the mandatory minimum sentence, under the Adam Walsh Act, of 360 months in custody, five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Victim Assistance Fund.
Deshauquette was initially indicted for two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and one count of aggravated sexual contact with a child by a federal grand jury on February 14, 2012. He pled guilty to aggravated sexual abuse of a child on April 30, 2012. The conviction arose from an incident that occurred between November 2009 and November 2011, in Wakpala, in which Deshauquette sexually assaulted a child under the age of 12.
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