Distributor of Child Pornography Sentenced

CHARLIE BENJAMIN FLOWERS, II, 34, of Cartersville, Georgia, was sentenced by District Court Judge Timothy C. Batten January 5 for collecting and trading images and videos of children being sexually abused.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “This defendant’s collection represents the worst of the worst of child pornography. The videos and pictures that he shared with other online predators showed infants and toddlers being raped, fondled, and abused. By making these horrible images available to others, this defendant was helping to grow an industry that has no place in our society, and today he is being justly punished for what he did.”

FLOWERS was sentenced to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. He is also required to register as a sex offender upon his release from custody. FLOWERS pleaded guilty to the charges in October 2010.

According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: In the summer of 2010, while operating in undercover capacities, three FBI agents, working independently of each other, encountered FLOWERS using online file sharing software to collect and distribute pictures and videos of infants and toddlers being sexually abused. Because FLOWERS typically accessed the Internet from a public node, it took several months for agents to determine his identity and location.

When he was finally apprehended, FLOWERS had in his possession a computer containing thousands of images of child pornography. His collection was almost exclusively focused on pictures and videos of infants and toddlers being raped, sodomized, and otherwise sexually abused. His online advertisement in the file-sharing forum announced his interest in and the availability of “only the youngest and hardest” images. Such images were acquired by each of the three undercover agents when, on separate occasions, FLOWERS gave them access to his collection.

Also found on FLOWERS’s computer was a file directory containing footage of FLOWERS groping a fully clothed toddler. FLOWERS had named the folder “first recorded molestation.”

This case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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Former Hall County School Bus Driver Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography Offenses

JOHN COOPER SPINKS, 41, of Oakwood, Georgia, a former bus driver for the Hall County, Georgia school system, was sentenced September 16 by Senior United States District Court Judge William C. O'Kelley to six years in federal prison for his convictions of distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “As a school bus driver, this defendant was in daily contact with the children of Hall County. While he was entrusted with our children by day, he was later searching for, downloading, and distributing sexually exploitative images of children at his home computer.”

SPINKS was sentenced to six years in federal prison to be followed by 20 years of supervised release. He was also fined $2,000. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to United States Attorney Yates and information presented during the guilty plea hearing on June 18, 2010, SPINKS distributed images of child pornography over the Internet to an undercover law enforcement officer who he encountered in a chat room named "#baby&toddlerlove." In January 2010, SPINKS was again found in a chat room known for trading images of child pornography. On March 25, 2010, federal agents executed a search warrant at SPINKS' home and seized a laptop computer and several other pieces of electronic media. SPINKS admitted to agents that he had searched for, downloaded, and viewed images of child pornography and that he had distributed child pornographic images over the Internet. FBI agents did in fact find hundreds of images of child pornography on his home computer.

This case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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Georgia Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Production of Child Pornography Using Hidden Videos in Store Bathrooms

/PRNewswire/ -- Jeffrey Alan Wasley of Kennesaw, Ga., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for producing child pornography through the surreptitious videotaping of young boys using public restrooms in Atlanta-area establishments, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Sally Quillian Yates.

Wasley pleaded guilty to production of child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge Clarence Cooper on March 16, 2010. According to court documents and proceedings, Wasley was a church youth counselor and former performing magician who followed young boys in retail stores and children's attractions. Wasley admitted that when he observed young boys entering a restroom unaccompanied by an adult, he would also enter and secretly videotape the boys.

As described in court documents, in July 2008, Wasley victimized five and seven year-old brothers in the men's restroom of a store in Kennesaw, according to information filed with the court and discussed at the plea hearing. These boys reported Wasley's conduct to their mother, who in turn notified store security. According to court documents, store security and Cobb County police were able to identify a likely suspect from store surveillance footage. When store security observed this same individual in the store several days later, they followed him to his car and noted his car's tag number, which was linked to Wasley. A subsequent search of Wasley's home yielded a computer containing six videos Wasley admitted he produced of boys in public restrooms, along with thousands of additional images of child pornography that Wasley had downloaded from the Internet.

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Hall County School Bus Driver Pleads Guilty to Distribution and Receipt of Child Pornography

JOHN COOPER SPINKS, 41, of Oakwood, Georgia, a bus driver for the Hall County (Georgia) school system, pleaded guilty June 18 in federal court in Gainesville to the distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “As a school bus driver, this defendant assumed a position of trust with respect to the parents and children of Hall County. He betrayed that trust by distributing sexually exploitative images of children using his home computer. Thanks to the work of undercover FBI agents, the defendant has now pleaded guilty to the charges and faces serious consequences for his conduct.”

According to United States Attorney Yates and information presented during today’s guilty plea hearing: SPINKS distributed images of child pornography over the Internet to an undercover law enforcement officer who he encountered in a chat room named “#baby&toddlerlove.” In January 2010, SPINKS was again found in a chat room known for trading images of child pornography. On March 25, 2010, federal agents executed a search warrant at SPINKS’ home and seized a laptop computer and several other pieces of electronic media. SPINKS admitted to agents that he had searched for, downloaded, and viewed images of child pornography and that he had distributed child pornographic images over the Internet. On his computer, the FBI found numerous images of child pornography.

SPINKS faces a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $500,000. No sentencing date has yet been set by the court. In determining the actual sentence, the court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

This case is being investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Pornography

Galen E. Vanord, 53, of Millen, Georgia, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to one count of distribution of child pornography. Vanord will be sentenced on August 27, 2010, by United States District Judge Henry Hudson. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment. As a result of this conviction, Vanord will also be required to register as a sex offender in any U.S. jurisdiction in which he lives, works, or attends school.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Michael F.A. Morehart, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office announced the plea.

According to court documents, Vanord was identified by law-enforcement officers during an undercover investigation of individuals trading images of child pornography over the Internet. Officers downloaded 600 images of child pornography and one video from Vanord. In the course of their investigation, agents seized Vanord’s computer, on which they found over 16,000 images of child pornography.

This case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Aber Brumberg prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Georgia Man Admits to Producing Child Pornography

Dennis C. Pfannenschmidt, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced that a 53-year-old Georgia resident pleaded guilty May 28 before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Edwin M. Kosik to producing child pornography as an aider and abettor during November 2008.

Pfannenschmidt stated that Scott Swanson, of Hiwassee, Georgia, admitted to persuading a minor to create sexually explicit images of the minor and transmit them from Pennsylvania to Georgia via computer.

Swanson was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 23, 2009. Swanson’s charges resulted from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Scranton Police, and the Wyoming County District Attorney’s Office.

Pfannenschmidt noted that as a result of the guilty plea, Swanson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a possible maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Sentencing will be scheduled after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

Pfannenschmidt noted that this case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Pfannenschmidt noted that the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.

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Army Colonel Charged with Producing Own Child Pornography

EDGAR PAGAN-TORRES, 41, of Peachtree City, Georgia, a lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Army, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on child pornography production and possession offenses. PAGAN made his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge on April 15, 2009 and was indicted this afternoon.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “This defendant allegedly sexually abused his own daughter and niece and then produced videos of his crimes, ‘mementos’ that he carefully organized into home video-style DVDs. This shocking and tragic conduct has no place in our nation’s military, nor anywhere else. I appreciate all the hard work the U.S. Army investigators did to bring this case to the FBI and to ensure that the Defendant now faces these very serious charges.”

“Today's indictment and continuing investigation clearly illustrates tremendous interagency cooperation with our global law enforcement partners,” said Brigadier General Colleen McGuire, the Provost Marshal General of the Army and the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. “Working hand in hand with Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies in cross jurisdictional investigations, we are continually proving our commitment to investigate crimes impacting the Army, wherever they may occur.”

According to United States Attorney Yates, the indictment and evidence in public record and in court: PAGAN was assigned to a military installation in Puerto Rico from 2004 to 2007. At that time, he and his family lived near PAGAN’s sister, who has a daughter the same age as PAGAN’s daughter. In 2008, a year after PAGAN and his family relocated to Peachtree City, PAGAN’s niece made an outcry alleging that PAGAN had molested her and his daughter. In 2009, family members passed this information to law enforcement in Puerto Rico, resulting in PAGAN’s guilty plea last month in Puerto Rico to criminal charges related to his niece’s molestation allegations.

At the same time the Puerto Rican authorities were investigating, agents from the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigations Division based at Ft. McPherson seized various computers and digital media from PAGAN’s home in Peachtree City. Searches of these items revealed sexually explicit videos PAGAN had made involving his daughter and his niece. Some of the videos were made in PAGAN’s home in Puerto Rico and others were made in his Peachtree City residence. Many of the videos had been transferred from the original recording media to home video-style DVDs organized into chapters. Additional forensic work uncovered a large collection of child pornography PAGAN had downloaded from the internet.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the FBI, U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division, and the Peachtree City Police Department.

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Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography Using Hidden Videos in Store Bathrooms

/PRNewswire/ -- Jeffrey Alan Wasley of Kennesaw, Ga., pleaded guilty today to production of child pornography related to surreptitiously videotaping young boys using public restrooms in Atlanta-area establishments, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Sally Quillian Yates.

Wasley, 38, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Clarence Cooper to producing child pornography. According to court documents and information presented at today's plea hearing, Wasley was a church youth counselor and former performing magician who stalked young boys in retail stores and children's attractions. When Wasley observed young boys entering a restroom unaccompanied by an adult, he admitted he would also enter and secretly videotape the boys.

In July 2008, Wasley victimized five and seven year-old brothers in the men's restroom of a store in Kennesaw, according to information filed with the court and discussed at the plea hearing. These boys reported Wasley's conduct to their mother, who in turn notified store security. According to court documents, store security and Cobb County police were able to identify a likely suspect from store surveillance footage. When store security observed this same individual in the store several days later, they followed him to his car and noted his car's tag number, which was linked to Wasley. A subsequent search of Wasley's home yielded a computer containing six videos Wasley admitted he produced of boys in public restrooms, along with thousands of additional images of child pornography that Wasley had downloaded from the Internet.

Sentencing has been scheduled for June 10, 2010. At sentencing, Wasley faces a minimum mandatory prison term of 15 years, a maximum term of 30 years, a fine of up to $250,000 and the possibility of a lifetime period of supervised release.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Cobb County Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert McBurney and Francey Hakes of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Andrew McCormack of the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

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Northwest Georgia Man Alleged to have Produced an Internationally-Known Series of Child Pornography Images Arrested on Federal Charges

JAMES BARTHOLOMEW "BART" HUSKEY, 38, of LaFayette, Georgia, has been arrested by federal, state and local law enforcement authorities on a federal criminal complaint charging him with manufacturing child pornography and uploading it to the Internet.

"This defendant allegedly produced a notorious series of images of child sexual abuse that have circulated around the world, with demand from the most hard-core and despicable child porn consumers," said David E. Nahmias, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. "The series of videos depict a girl being abused from the time she was approximately 5 years old to when she was 9 years old. Law enforcement around the country has taken extraordinary steps to find this alleged predator, and he has now allegedly been found, in Northwest Georgia."

According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court: In June 2006, authorities in Australia informed FBI Headquarters' Innocent Images Unit about an international investigation into the activities of a group of child pornography traders. These traders used sophisticated security measures to protect their trading of child porn from authorities. FBI agents began investigating this group and recovered particularly graphic and disturbing photos and videos depicting sexual abuse of a young girl being traded among the group. Over the last two years, the images of this child being violently sexually assaulted grew gradually worse. The Innocent Images Unit of the FBI, working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, (NCMEC), the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Richmond Field Office of the FBI, Maine State Police, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Atlanta Field Office of the FBI, worked to identify the victim child, who had been given a specific name by the perpetrator of the abuse. Using details in some of the photos and videos, law enforcement was able to identify HUSKEY as the alleged perpetrator of the sexual abuse depicted in the series of images.

On June 16, 2008, HUSKEY was arrested at his residence in LaFayette, Georgia. According to the criminal complaint, HUSKEY admitted he had abused the child victim and had sent the images of the abuse out over the Internet. The victim was also identified and interviewed and she confirmed that HUSKEY had sexually assaulted her over a period of time and had videotaped the assaults.

HUSKEY's two children have been taken into protective custody by Georgia state authorities.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Richmond, Virginia, the Innocent Images Unit at FBI Headquarters and the Safe Child Task Force at FBI's Atlanta Division; with key investigative assistance from the Internet Crimes Against Children unit of the Maine State Police, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistance has also been provided by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Catoosa County Sheriff's Office, Fort Oglethorpe Police Department and the Walker County Sheriff's Office, along with input and assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Assistant United States Attorneys Francey Hakes and Corey Steinberg are prosecuting the case.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-me-us), United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.