Tag Archive for: sexual

Eastern District of California | Carmichael Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Child Pornography Offenses

/in


SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Sam Moss Kerfoot, 27, of Carmichael, charging him with sexual exploitation of a minor, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in April and May 2022, Kerfoot sexually abused a minor and produced visual depictions of the minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, Kerfoot is alleged to have distributed child pornography in April 2022 and possessed child pornography in June 2023.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force Internet Crimes Against Children unit including the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Sauvageau and Alstyn Bennett are prosecuting the case.

If convicted of the charges as alleged, Kerfoot faces a minimum statutory penalty of 25 years in prison, a maximum of 50 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine for sexual exploitation of a minor; a minimum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 40 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine for distribution of child pornography; and a minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine for possession of child pornography. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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…

Source…

Homeland Security identifies 311 child victims of sexual exploitation in ‘cold cases’

/in


More than a dozen international law enforcement organizations worked together under U.S. leadership to identify and locate victims of child sexual exploitation in a just-completed operation that officials say is likely the most successful of its kind.

In the three-week “surge” known as Operation Renewed Hope, which began July 17, investigators combing through sexually graphic internet material involving children, much of it on the dark web and some of it decades old, made probable identifications of 311 child victims and confirmed the rescue of several victims from active abuse.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, took the lead in the operation, which included representatives from the Justice Department, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals, Interpol and Europol, as well as 13 law enforcement agencies from Australia, Canada and countries in Europe and South America.

In many of the cases in which victims have been identified, HSI officials told NBC News that the material had existed for many years, but investigators were previously unable to identify the child victims or the adult abusers. Thanks to new facial recognition and artificial intelligence technology, there are now fresh leads in these formerly cold cases.

After they narrowed down a location or tentatively identified a victim, the investigators sent their new leads to the appropriate local law enforcement agency. The operation sent more than 100 leads to HSI field offices and 25 partnering countries. Some suspects in Canada and the United States have already been arrested.

The announcement comes a week after the FBI revealed it had identified dozens of victims of child sex trafficking and more than 100 suspects in a separate sweep called Operation Cross Country.

Mike Prado, deputy assistant director of the HSI Cyber Crimes Center, said the results of Operation Renewed Hope “exceeded our wildest expectations in the sense of being able to identify children who have been abused for, in many cases, years.”

He gave NBC News a tour of the operation while it was in progress, being careful to avoid showing any of the highly graphic material under review.

In one room, more than 20…

Source…

Michigan man sentenced for sexual assault of underage girl in Limerick

/in


NORRISTOWN — A Michigan man already serving time in federal prison for manufacturing child pornography while engaging in text communications with a teenage Montgomery County girl admitted in county court that he met and sexually assaulted the girl at a Limerick Township hotel.

Mark Allen Hillis, 60, of Southgate, Mich., was sentenced in county court to 15 to 30 years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person under 16, unlawful contact with a minor and sexual abuse of children photographing and depicting sexual acts in connection with incidents that occurred in December 2019.

Hillis also must complete three years’ probation following parole, meaning he will be under court supervision on the county charges for 33 years.

The county sentence, imposed by Judge Thomas C. Branca as part of a plea agreement, will run concurrently with a 25-year federal sentence Hillis received in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia last November after he pleaded guilty there to charges of enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct, manufacturing and attempted manufacturing of child pornography, transferring obscene material to a minor, and possessing child pornography.

Under the federal and county sentences, Hillis won’t be eligible for parole until he’s in his 80s.

With the county charges, prosecutors essentially handled the charges related to Hillis’ hands-on contact with the underage girl at the Limerick hotel.

Assistant District Attorney Gabriella Glenning sought a significant state prison term against Hillis.

“The defendant fostered a relationship with a 13-year-old, built her trust, made her feel like they had a relationship and under that had her send him nude photographs of herself and then ultimately meeting up with her in person to accomplish his goal. That is heinous,” Glenning said. “To facilitate a hands-on offense is just horrendous.”

Prosecutors said the charges arose from Hillis’ sexual exploitation of the underage girl by using the internet and text messaging over a period of months, by traveling from…

Source…

Somersworth Man Sentenced to 66 Months for Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials | USAO-NH

/in


            CONCORD – Mark E. Butler, 46, of Somersworth, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison for distribution and possession of child sexual abuse materials, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, between June and September 2021, federal and state law enforcement officers investigated the online child sexual exploitation activities of the defendant, Mark E. Butler, who used various social media applications to share child sexual abuse materials. For example, on September 23, 2021, Butler distributed a one-minute video depicting a prepubescent child engaged in sexual conduct to an undercover agent. On October 13, 2021, investigators executed a federal search warrant to seize electronic devices used by Butler to distribute and possess child sexual abuse materials. Butler admitted that he used the internet to obtain child sexual abuse materials. Subsequent forensic analysis of Butler’s Apple iPhone and evidence obtained from a cloud storage service provider confirmed Butler’s use of several social media applications, emails, and text messages to send child sexual abuse materials to other individuals.

            In addition to his sentence, Butler was sentenced to five years of supervised release following his release from prison and a $6,000 restitution payment.

            “Protecting children is a paramount priority and those who engage in child exploitation will be prosecuted and we will seek significant sentences as demonstrated in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “This case is another example of the collaborative work our law enforcement partners engage in to identify and prosecute those who possess and distribute child sexual abuse materials.” 

            “Butler possessed and distributed child exploitation materials and his sharing of this material perpetuates a cycle of abuse. Homeland Security Investigations and our partners will continue to pursue individuals who are involved in any part of the child exploitation cycle,” said Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New…

Source…