U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Protecting national security by enforcing our nation's customs and immigration laws
Report suspicious activity 1-866-DHS-2-ICE
Quick Links
News Releases
August 29, 2008
Louisville man sentenced to 17 ½ years for possessing child pornography
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A 41-year-old local resident was sentenced here Thursday to 17½ years in federal prison for transporting, receiving, and possessing child pornography. This significant sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
William Mark Corum, of 9802 Kenmont Lane, was sentenced Aug. 28 by U.S. District Judge Charles R. Simpson III to 210 months imprisonment for transporting, receiving, and possessing child pornography. His sentence also includes a lifetime of supervised release. Corum had pleaded guilty to the charges in February.
According to court documents, on May 23, 2007, Metropolitan Police in London, England, identified and arrested an individual for using "Google Hello" to distribute indecent images of children. The individual also admitted chatting with a large number of people via the Hello program and having received and distributed images to and from those people. ICE agents traced this information to Mark Corum.
ICE agents executed a federal search warrant at Corum's residence on Aug. 23, 2007. They seized two computers, a wireless router, electronic storage media, and two digital cameras. While executing the search warrant, ICE agents interviewed Corum. Corum informed them that he owned two computers with Internet access; one was located in an upstairs living room, and the other in the basement. He admitted he primarily used the computer located in the basement for his Internet activity. Corum stated that he used "Google Hello" on the computer located in the basement and confirmed that he used the screen name "Skinny479" for Internet chat and sharing photographs. Corum further stated that he had received and sent child pornographic images utilizing the "Google Hello" forum on the Internet.
ICE agents conducted a preliminary forensic examination of one computer that revealed 50 images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Corum further admitted that his collection of child pornography included about 1,000 images.
Under federal law, child pornography is defined as any visual depiction, including any photograph, film, video, picture, or computer or computer-generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means, of sexually explicit conduct, where the production of such visual depiction involves using a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jo E. Lawless, Western District of Kentucky, prosecuted this case.
"The sexually exploited victims of child pornography are devastated from these experiences throughout their lives," said Jerry Phillips, resident agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Louisville. "This prison sentence brings some justice to the innocent victims of these crimes."
This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers. Since Operation Predator was launched in July 2003, ICE agents have arrested more than 11,000 individuals nationwide.
ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.
Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or www.cybertipline.com.
-- ICE --
