March 9, 2007

El Paso man sentenced to 10 years for possessing child pornography
ICE Cyber Crimes Center received information that triggered investigation

EL PASO, Texas - A northeast El Paso man was sentenced here Wednesday to 120 months in federal prison following a three-year child pornography investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On March 7, U.S. District Judge Frank Montalvo sentenced Edward Warren Wright, 29, of the 4500 block of Vulcan Street, for possessing images and videos that graphically depicted minors being sexually exploited. ICE special agents arrested Wright in February 2006 at his work place.

Wright came to ICE's attention after Norwegian police and the Danish National Police launched an operation in 2004 that targeted individuals who possessed and distributed child exploitation images using "peer-to-peer" computer applications. Peer-to-peer networks allow individuals to maintain images and videos in user-shared folders. During its investigation, Danish Police developed information about Wright and contacted ICE's Cyber Crime Center (C3) in Washington. In turn, C3 investigators passed on the lead to ICE special agents in El Paso, who initiated a local investigation.

In January 2005, ICE special agents seized two of Wright's computers. Computer forensic analysis discovered 25 videos and 54 images of child pornography, which were downloaded from paid Internet websites. Some of the images depicted young boys and girls engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

"This is one of many cases which demonstrates ICE's resolve to search out predators who use the Internet to sexually exploit innocent children," said Roberto G. Medina, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in El Paso. "Predators who believe that they remain anonymous in cyberspace are sadly mistaken. Pursuing this type of devious criminal is one of ICE's most important responsibilities."

This investigation is 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 9,500 individuals, including 862 in Texas.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. Investigators staff this hotline around the clock.

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 http://www.cybertipline.com.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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