https://www.newstalkflorida.com/featured/gop-senators-demand-intelligence-records-on-hunter-bidens-dealings-with-chinese-energy-conglomerate/
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Middle District of Pennsylvania
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 2, 2021
Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a Child
A former executive director for a university’s donor relations and fundraising programs in New York was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for multiple child pornography crimes, including his participation in the sexual abuse of a 6-year-old.
According to court documents, on July 22, 2015, Scott Lane, 37, of New York, New York, and others were on a particular video-conferencing platform when a man in Pennsylvania, co-conspirator William Augusta, began sexually abusing a 6-year-old boy. Lane and others encouraged Augusta to sexually abuse the boy for everyone to watch live. Specifically, Lane, using the alias “NYC Perv,” instructed Augusta to “make out with him,” and further instructed Augusta to engage in specific sexual acts with the boy. An undercover Toronto Police detective constable observed the sexual abuse via the video-conferencing platform, and the following day, law enforcement rescued the child and arrested Augusta, who had been sexually abusing the child for approximately two years. A subsequent search of Lane’s electronic devices revealed that Lane possessed multiple videos of prepubescent child pornography.
“The successful prosecution of the 15 individuals in this case, many of whom were responsible for the reprehensible sexual abuse of a 6-year-old child on a live-streaming, video-conferencing platform, demonstrate the Department of Justice’s unwavering commitment to targeting dangerous sexual abusers of children, however they commit their crimes,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We will continue to work closely with our domestic and foreign law enforcement partners to identify, prosecute, and hold accountable those who exploit children, no matter the technological means they use to commit their heinous crimes.”
“This defendant and his co-conspirators engaged in truly hideous behavior toward a child,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler of the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “The lengthy sentence imposed today, and the lengthy sentences imposed earlier, reflect our office’s commitment to protecting vulnerable victims and punishing individuals who engage in this type of abhorrent behavior. I want to thank all the prosecutors and law enforcement agents who worked tirelessly to make sure justice was served in this case.”
“Today’s sentence demonstrates the severity of the crimes committed in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian A. Michael for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia. “The defendant perpetuated unspeakable crimes against the most vulnerable of victims, a child. Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners are devoted to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting offenders like the defendant ensuring they will never harm another child. We hope today’s sentencing can bring some solace to the victim in their recovery.”
In May 2016, 15 individuals were charged in an 18-count superseding indictment by a grand jury in the Middle District of Pennsylvania with multiple child exploitation offenses, many of which related to 14 co-conspirators’ involvement in using the video-conferencing website to produce, advertise, distribute, and/or receive child pornography. Twelve of the defendants pleaded guilty prior to trial, and two went to trial in January 2018. The defendants were sentenced to between six and a half years and 60 years. One defendant died after pleading guilty but before sentencing, and another defendant died before trial.
Lane pleaded guilty to six counts of child pornography crimes on Jan. 11, 2018, including conspiracy to produce and production of child pornography. In addition to the prison sentence, he was ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release and to pay $50,000 of restitution to the then-6-year-old victim as well as $476.95 to another victim.
HSI Philadelphia, the Toronto Police Service, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, and the North Middleton Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section’s (CEOS) High Technology Investigative Unit.
CEOS Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Ford of the Middle District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Northern District of New York
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 2, 2021
Canton Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child, and Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jacob Leonard, age 30, of Canton, New York, pled guilty today to one count of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon; Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett.
Leonard, who remains detained pending his sentencing scheduled for August 5, 2021, faces at least 15 years and up to 70 years in prison. Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby will also impose a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Leonard would also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
As part of his guilty plea, Leonard admitted that while using a social media messaging application on his phone, he sent an image of child pornography – which he created – to another individual over the internet. A subsequent search of Leonard’s phone revealed that he was in possession of 33 images and 18 video files depicting child pornography.
Leonard’s case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators from the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Computer Crimes Unit (CCU). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Northern District of New York
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 2, 2021
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Thomas Sczerbaniewicz, age 52, of Syracuse, pled guilty yesterday to one count of possessing and accessing with intent to view child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his plea agreement and during the plea hearing before United States District Judge David N. Hurd in Utica, Sczerbaniewicz admitted that, in January 2021 while at his sex offender counseling service, he went into the bathroom and used a mobile phone to access the internet and view child exploitation images.
Sczerbaniewicz, who was convicted of possessing child pornography in 2009 and was on supervised release at the time he committed the current offense, faces at least 10 years and up to 20 years in prison on the new conviction. The Court also will impose a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Sczerbaniewicz’s case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), after a referral from the United States Probation Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Eastern District of Washington
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 2, 2021
Warden Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Trafficking and Production of Child Pornography
Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Carlos Salgado Velasquez, age 30, of Warden, Washington, pleaded guilty on March 31, 2021 pursuant to a plea agreement to one count of Production of Child Pornography and one count of Child Sex Trafficking. In the plea agreement, Velasquez and the United States agreed to a sentence of 23 years in prison. Senior District Judge Wm. Fremming Nielsen will decide whether to accept the plea agreement during the sentencing hearing set for July 6, 2021.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, beginning in September 2016 and continuing through September 2018, Velasquez engaged in conduct with four minor female victims within the Eastern District of Washington that constituted both the production of child pornography and child sex trafficking, in violation of federal law. Velasquez admitted that he knowingly took part in sexually explicit conduct with the four minor victims for the purpose of producing visual depictions of the sexually explicit conduct. Velasquez also admitted that he engaged in commercial sex acts with the four minor victims by soliciting them to engage in sexual intercourse with him in exchange for things of value. Velasquez solicited the four victims to engage in commercial sex acts with him by arranging to meet them using various internet communications platforms.
Acting United States Attorney Harrington said, “Crimes against children are one of the highest priorities of the Department of Justice and will continue to be vigorously prosecuted in the Eastern District of Washington. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington commends the law enforcement officers with the Moses Lake Police Department, the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the United States Department of Homeland Security who investigated this case.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States 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 individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
· Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
· Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
· Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
· Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
· Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which includes detectives from the Kennewick and Richland Police Departments, and the Moses Lake Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Ann T. Wick and James A. Goeke, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.