Crimes against Children 10-16-12

Richmond, VA
A Louisiana man was sentenced to 25 years in prison this morning in Lynchburg, Virginia federal court, after previously pleading guilty to recording his sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl and related offenses, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Timothy J. Heaphy.

Gregory Thomas Miller, 57, of Deville, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on April 27, 2012, to a 10-count indictment charging him with seven counts of production of child pornography, one count of transporting child pornography, one count of possessing child pornography, and one count of marijuana possession. Today’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Norman K. Moon.

According to court documents, Miller repeatedly sexually abused a 14-year-old girl and filmed numerous incidents of the abuse during a several-month period in 2008. In October 2010, the defendant’s car was stopped by National Park Service (NPS) rangers at a DUI checkpoint in Virginia. The defendant was in the car with the girl he had abused. NPS Rangers quickly determined that a missing persons/runaway report for her had been recorded with the National Crime Information Center.

Savannah, GA
A federal indictment unsealed last week in federal court has charged Shawn Bragg, 21, of Savannah, Georgia with sex trafficking a child. Bragg is currently a fugitive. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact the FBI.

According to the allegations in the indictment, from 2010 to March of this year, Bragg recruited a child who was under 14 years old to work as a prostitute in the Savannah area. The indictment further alleges that Bragg benefitted financially from the child engaging in commercial sex acts.

Bragg is charged with one count of sex trafficking of a child, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a potential life sentence.

Albuquerque, NM
This morning in federal court, Jay Rutherford Paiz, 31, a member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation who resides in Dulce, New Mexico, entered a guilty plea to a second-degree murder charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

During today’s plea hearing, Paiz admitted killing his 3-year-old son on July 20, 2008, at his residence, which is located on the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said.

Court records reflect that Paiz was arrested on July 22, 2008, on a criminal complaint charging him with attempting to kill or to commit manslaughter of his 3-year-old son through a pattern of child abuse.

Joliet, IL
A former local youth soccer coach is heading to prison after pleading guilty Monday to one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of aggravated child pornography.

Darrell J. Stephenson, 25, formerly of 2038 Manico in Crest Hill, will spend five years in the Department of Corrections after agreeing to a plea deal in Will County Circuit Court.

Stephenson was arrested in June 2011 on a charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, accused of molesting a 12-year-old boy in fall 2010.

Monett, MO
A southwest Missouri man who was turned in to police by his wife pleaded guilty to possessing cartoons that depict child pornography.

Prosecutors announced Monday that 36-year-old Christian Bee of Monett entered his plea Monday in federal court in Springfield.

The Joplin Globe reports Bee's wife called Monett police in August 2011 after finding the files on her husband's computer.

Forensic investigators found a collection of electronic comics, titled "Incest Comics," on the computer. The U.S. Attorney's office says it will recommend a sentence of three years in prison without parole.

Tulsa, OK
A Tulsa man is behind bars for allegedly possessing and distributing child pornography.

According to the arrest report, 48-year-old Shawn Neihart was taken into custody Monday around 10:30 a.m. after he turned himself in to the Tulsa County Jail.

Among the charges Neihart faces are aggravated possession of child pornography, possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and possession of obscene material.

Spartanburg Co., SC
A Spartanburg man who was a teacher when he was arrested on child pornography charges earlier this year was sentenced on Tuesday.
 
Mark Anthony Soza, 57, of Roebuck, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 40 months in prison.

Evidence presented at the plea hearing showed that Soza, who was a Spartanburg School District 4 teacher prior to his arrest in February 2012, was a customer of a commercial child pornography operation under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security.

Long Island, NY
A Roosevelt High School administrator was arrested by federal agents at his home Tuesday and charged with receiving child pornography, according to Newsday, citing a criminal complaint filed by a Homeland Security agent.

Tuesday morning, federal agents executed a search warrant at the Patchogue home of Kevin O’Connell, after they reportedly traced an internet address advertising video files available for sharing to O’Connell’s house.

According to the complaint, agents conducted a preliminary forensic examination of computer equipment found during the raid. Agents “confirmed the presence of numerous videos of apparent child pornography,” the complaint said.

Pembroke, NY
A Pembroke woman who allegedly supplied child pornography to a man later convicted of molesting toddlers entered a guilty plea in County Court today to one count of possession of sexual performance of a child.

As a term of the plea deal, Beverly Hensel, 53, of 8921 Alleghany Road, Pembroke, could receive up to 10 years probation and an intermittent jail term.

Hansel admitted to possessing child pornography between January 2008 and December 2009.
According to court documents, Hansel met James L. Little Jr., 41, formerly of Batavia, at a bar in Corfu. During the meeting, Little said Hansel offered to acquire child pornography for him.

Bear, DE
An 18-year-old Bear man faces 25 counts of dealing in child pornography, the state Attorney General’s Office announced in a release today.

Delaware Child Predator Task Force officials carried out a search warrant for a residence in the 4200 block of Cindy Drive in Bear on Oct. 9 following an undercover investigation, public information officer Jason P. Miller said.



Detectives seized two laptops and other evidence, and an initial forensic preview revealed multiple images and video of child pornography, Miller said.


Roosevelt J. Cubbage, 18, who was in the residence, was taken to Delaware State Police Troop 2 for questioning, where he was arrested and charged with 25 counts of dealing in child pornography based on evidence obtained during the investigation, Miller said.

Naperville, IL

Residents of a Naperville neighborhood were reeling Tuesday after the arrest of a man suspected of secretly videotaping several neighbors in the nude.

Renzo Barduagni, 50, of the 700 block of Violet Circle, also is accused of possessing about 100 images of child pornography on his computer.

Police arrested Barduagni on Monday after executing a search warrant at his house, the culmination of a four-month online child pornography investigation. In addition to locating child pornography, authorities said they found a videotape containing footage of a naked neighbor child.