Repeat sexual predator receives 60-year sentence

ORLANDO – A Florida man was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison Monday for sexually exploiting two minors and committing the offenses while required to register as a sex offender. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cocoa Beach and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.

The court also ordered Simmerman to forfeit the electronic device he used to commit the offenses. Simmerman pleaded guilty January 27, 2020.

According to court documents, in 2013 Todd Joseph Simmerman, 30, Titusville, pleaded guilty to traveling to meet a child to engage in unlawful sexual conduct, after using a computer to lure a child, in violation of Florida law. As part of his sentence, he was required to register as a sex offender. Six months after completing his state sentence, Simmerman met a 15-year-old on Snapchat and enticed the child to engage in sexual activity. The child victim introduced Simmerman to a 15-year-old friend and Simmerman also preyed upon that child. Simmerman used his cellphone to record his sexually abusive encounters with both victims, which occurred over a period of about five months, until his arrest.

“This repeated child predator will spend the rest of his natural life in prison, thanks to HSI special agents and our partners at the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David J. Pezzutti. “While we cannot undo the damage of his horrible crimes, we hope that this sentence helps with the healing process for his victims.”

The case was prosecuted by the office of United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez, Middle District Florida, Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 25,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child exploitation material, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2019, more than 3,500 child predators were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/repeat-sexual-predator-receives-60-year-sentence

ICE HSI Orlando, HSI Guatemala seize aircraft, cocaine

ORLANDO – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seized 2,107 kilograms of cocaine and a Gulfstream III (GIII) jet for violating foreign law concerning narcotics by the Government of Guatemala. The July 26, 2020, seizure by HSI Guatemala was based on a collateral request by HSI Orlando and as part of the HSI HOMECORT National Aviation Trafficking Initiative.

“By using a variety of investigative techniques and leveraging strong partnerships, the coordination efforts during this investigation cannot be understated,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David J. Pezzutti. “Targeting transnational criminal organizations, such as narcotics traffickers, has been a collective, team effort by several agencies and units which culminated in this substantial cocaine seizure.”

In March 2019, HSI Orlando received information the GIII would likely be sold and then used to transport illegal drugs. In April 2019, HSI Orlando began monitoring the aircraft.

The aircraft was sold and soon thereafter was taken to Mexico for numerous maintenance flights. On July 25, 2020, HSI Orlando was notified the GIII was en route to the Yucatán Peninsula on a field flight plan. Based on this notification, HSI Guatemala and the Joint Interagency Task Force - South (JIATF-S) were contacted to coordinate and prepare ground monitoring efforts to intercept the narcotics-laden aircraft. The aircraft flew into Venezuela and ended in Guatemalan territory where it was interdicted by the Guatemalan military. The narco-traffickers scuttled the aircraft and attempted to bury the cocaine. HSI Guatemala’s Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit was deployed and participated in the seizure, processing the evidence with Ministerio Publico. This investigation is targeting Guatemalan coordinators via the cocaine air bridge. HSI Guatemala will request evidence samples that will assist with future indictments in this ongoing case in the United States.

This is a joint HSI-led investigation being supported by Joint Task Force-Investigations HOMECORT, JIATF-S Tactical Analysis Team Guatemala, Federal Aviation Administration, the National Targeting Center-Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air Marine Operations Center.

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-hsi-orlando-hsi-guatemala-seize-aircraft-cocaine

How They Pulled Off The ‘Pandemic’ – An Animated Film Explanation By David Icke

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