WASHINGTON – Brian D. Hindson, 40, of Carmel, Ind., pleaded guilty today in Indianapolis to eleven counts of production of child pornography, four counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Timothy M. Morrison and FBI Special Agent-in-Charge for the Indianapolis Division Michael S. Welch announced.
According to court documents and uncontested testimony at the plea hearing, Hindson previously worked as head coach/CEO of Central Indiana Aquatics, as the head coach of Kokomo High School Swimming and Diving and as a coaches representative for Indiana Swimming Inc. Over a period of approximately 10 years, Hindson hid video cameras in locker rooms at Kokomo High School and Memorial Gym in Kokomo, Ind., and then secretly videotaped female teenage swimmers from his teams while they undressed. The criminal activity was discovered when he sold a laptop computer on eBay to buyers in Gastonia, N.C. In reviewing the contents of the laptop, the buyers saw videos of a nude, teenage girl in a locker room who appeared to be unaware that she was being filmed as she changed her clothes. A search warrant was executed at Hindson’s home and numerous images and videos of child pornography were recovered, including several videos and images of different teenage girls filmed in the same locker room.
"For ten years, Mr. Hindson exploited the children he was entrusted to teach and protect," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich. "That exploitation ends today, and others who consider producing or distributing child pornography should expect to face prosecution."
Hindson’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 17, 2008. As part of his plea agreement, Hindson faces a sentence of between 25 and 35 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and a period of supervised release up to the remainder of his life following his release from prison.
This case emerged out of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. DeBrota of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana and Trial Attorney Bonnie L. Kane of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Cyber Crime Task Force and the Kokomo Police Department, with additional assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Hamilton County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Westfield Police Department, the Carmel Police Department, the Special Investigations Section of the Indiana State Police and the Fishers Police Department.
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