November 29, 2007

Alabastor predator sentenced to 17.5 years in prison following ICE investigation

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A 30-year-old predator was sentenced here yesterday to serve 17.5 years in prison following an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Benjamin David Ford, of Alabaster, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for possession of child pornography by computer, transporting or shipping child pornography, and posting a notice via the Internet seeking and offering to exchange and/or receive child pornography.

Ford was indicted in May 2007, and pled guilty to the child pornography charges, which occurred from December 7, 2006, through December 22, 2006, in Shelby County, Alabama. Upon completion of his prison term, Ford will serve fifteen years of supervised release.

Special Agents with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Montana and New York investigated this matter.

"This investigation is a clear indication of ICE's resolve to search out those who use the internet to sexually exploit innocent children," said Kyle Barnette, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Investigations for ICE in New Orleans. "Some predators mistakenly believe that the anonymity of cyberspace shields them from scrutiny; in fact, their use of computers and the Internet have given us new tools to use in our enforcement efforts."

"While the Internet is a useful tool, it has the potential to facilitate heinous criminal conduct," said U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin. "Project Safe childhood encourages the use of multi-jurisdictional task forces to investigate and prosecute cases that involve the sexual exploitation of children over the Internet."

Assistant United States Attorney Vincent Carroll and Laura Hodge prosecuted these matters on behalf of the U.S. Government.

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 10,000 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 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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