Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography

A Laurel, Maryland man pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography today, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur of the District of Maryland.

Charles Bertsch, 59, a security guard at a local university, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge Paul W. Grimm for the District of Maryland who will sentence him on Jan. 31, 2019.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, FBI Task force agents in Maryland began an investigation into Bertsch after various law enforcement agencies downloaded child pornography via a peer-to-peer network from IP addresses which led back to the defendant.  In an interview with law enforcement, Bertsch acknowledged that by connecting his computer and downloading such images, he was simultaneously enabling others to download child pornography from his hard drive. A forensic examination of Bertsch’s electronic devices, seized pursuant to a search warrant, revealed over 100,000 image files and over 2,000 video files of child pornography.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Baltimore Field Office with assistance from the Baltimore County Police Department, Washington County Sheriff's Office, and Worcester County Sheriff's Office.  This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Baldwin of the District of Maryland.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.

Topic(s): 

Project Safe Childhood

Component(s): 

Criminal Division

Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

USAO - Maryland

Press Release Number: 

18-968

Updated July 23, 2018

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Delaware Man Sentenced to Prison for Production of Child Pornography

A Dover, Delaware man was sentenced to 25 years in prison today for production of child pornography, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss of the District of Delaware.

Daniel Arthur Hill, 30, pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography on Nov. 9, 2017.  U.S. District Judge Gregory M. Sleet of the District of Delaware sentenced Hill to serve 300 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Hill was arrested by the Delaware State Police Department for solicitation of a minor on Dec. 16, 2015.  Hill had met a person online who he believed was a 14-year-old girl and with whom he had arranged to engage in sexual intercourse.  Following his arrest, a court-authorized search of Hill’s electronic devices revealed evidence that Hill had produced images of child pornography depicting two minors under the age of 12.  Hill had also distributed child pornography to others via online chat groups. On Aug. 11, 2016, Hill was indicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware for enticement of a minor and for possession, production, and distribution of child pornography. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Delaware State Police investigated this case. Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham L. Robinson of the District of Delaware prosecuted the case.  CEOS Trial Attorney Kathryn Furtado also served as a vital member of the prosecution team at earlier stages of the litigation.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.

Topic(s): 

Project Safe Childhood

Component(s): 

Criminal Division

Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

USAO - Delaware

Press Release Number: 

18-965

Updated July 23, 2018

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Virginia Man Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking a Minor and Producing Child Pornography

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, July 20, 2018

A Virginia man was sentenced today to 186 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release for multiple crimes related to the prostitution and exploitation of a 15-year-old minor.  Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia, and Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement after the sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga of the Eastern District of Virginia.

Abdul Karim Bangura Jr. aka “AJ”, 22, of Triangle, Virginia pleaded guilty in August 2017 to all counts of an indictment charging him with sex trafficking of a minor, conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor, interstate transportation of a minor for the purposes of prostitution, and production of child pornography.

According to admissions made in connection with his plea, Bangura and his co-defendant Christian Hood conspired to recruit a 15-year-old girl to work as a prostitute and to advertise her prostitution services on Backpage.com.  Bangura also transported the minor to hotels in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. for prostitution dates, and he took a portion of the money she made from commercial sex customers.  Bangura also used a phone to record a video of himself having sex with the minor.  In August 2017, Hood was convicted at trial of sex trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of this same minor. 

This matter was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force with assistance from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and the Prince William County Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen C. Cain of the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.

Topic(s): 

Project Safe Childhood

Component(s): 

Criminal Division

Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

USAO - Virginia, Eastern

Press Release Number: 

18-559

Updated July 20, 2018

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Kansas Man Convicted of Producing Child Pornography

JUSTICE NEWS

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

A Lindsborg, Kansas man who traveled to the Philippines and had sex with minor females there pleaded guilty to three counts of production of child pornography. 

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Stephen R. McAllister of the District of Kansas made the announcement.

Anthony Shultz, 55, helicopter pilot, was charged by complaint in July 2016 and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Eric F. Melgren of the District of Kansas. Sentencing is scheduled for December 6, 2018.

According to admissions made in conjunction with the guilty plea, Shultz engaged in sex acts with minor females in the Philippines.  He videotaped his sexual encounters with two minors and transported the videos to his home in Kansas.  One of the girls was only 12 years old at the time; the other was 15 years old.  In one of the videos, Shultz is seen giving the 15-year-old money after having sex with her.  Shultz also produced child pornography of an 8-year-old girl in the Philippines by communicating on Skype with the child’s mother and directing the mother to expose the child’s genitals and live-stream it on web camera.  

The FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Lauren E. Britsch of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart of the District of Kansas prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc(link sends e-mail).