WASHINGTON – A federal jury in Tampa, Fla., convicted Dr. Richard Carino, 48, a Tampa-based physician, of child pornography receipt and possession charges, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Robert E. O’Neill announced today. Carino, of New Port Richey, Fla., is a pain specialist who operated a medical office in that city until his license to practice was indefinitely suspended.
During the four-day trial, the jury heard evidence and testimony that on July 19, 2005, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents searched Carino’s office pursuant to a warrant while investigating allegations unrelated to child pornography. His wife at the time was present for the search and informed the agents that Carino had been viewing child pornography from his home computer. With her consent, agents imaged the home computer.
Subsequently, the jury learned that evidence of child pornography from both Carino’s home and office computers was discovered, including illegal videos and images of child pornography, and logs and relevant file names associated with Kazaa, a peer-to-peer file-sharing program. Peer-to-peer networks allow users connected to the Internet to link their computers with other computers around the world and thereby share information and files, including child sexual abuse images and videos. By examining Kazaa logs recovered from Carino’s office computer, the FBI was able to identify additional child pornography videos that had once been stored on that computer.
The jury in the trial also heard testimony and evidence that on Aug. 26, 2005, investigators from the Pasco County, Fla., Sheriff's Office seized Carino’s home computer with consent, observed child pornography on the computer, and submitted the computer to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for analysis. The FDLE confirmed that child pornography images and videos were stored in the computer and that Kazaa logs indicated that additional child pornography had once been stored on and deleted from the computer.
Carino was arrested on May 22, 2006, and later charged on Jan. 16, 2008, in a six-count second superseding indictment. The first four counts charged him with possession and receipt of child pornography related to the July 19, 2005, searches of his home and office, which uncovered images and videos depicting nude prepubescent children in suggestive poses and engaged in sexual activity with adult males. He was also charged with two counts of possession and receipt relating to the Aug. 26, 2005, seizure of his home computer, which also uncovered images and videos depicting nude prepubescent children in suggestive poses and engaged in sexual activity with adult males. The jury convicted him on all six charged counts.
At his sentencing hearing on Oct. 3, 2008, Carino faces five to 20 years in prison for each of the receipt counts and a maximum of 10 years in prison for each of the possession counts. He also faces up to a $250,000 fine for each count of conviction and a life term of supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel F. Moore of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Barak Cohen of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). The case was jointly investigated by the FBI, the DEA, the Pasco County Sherriff’s Office and the FDLE. Computer forensic analysis was provided by CEOS’ High Tech Investigative Unit.
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