February 23, 2009

South Carolina predator sentenced to 60 years in prison

RALEIGH, S.C. - A 30-year-old man was sentenced today in federal court to 60 years in prison for possession and production of child pornography following a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation.

In Dec. 2007, ICE agents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania received information that child pornography was being posted on Flicker, an online photo sharing site that allows users to post photographs and feedback from other members of the photography community and that sexually explicit images of children were being posted in a private group.

The ICE investigation revealed that, from his work computer, Daniel Carl Sherwin, of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, was participating in an online group that posted sexually explicit images of children.

ICE agents notified the FBI in North Carolina who interviewed Sherwin, and after a forensic analysis of his computer, found at least 22 images of child pornography, some of which depicted prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts.

Further forensic examination of Sherwin's digital camera and memory stick revealed that he had taken sexually explicit photographs of two infant children.

Sherwin was convicted in 2003 in the State of Utah of eight counts of second degree sexual exploitation of a minor, and was a registered sex offender.

This case was part of Operation Predator, a comprehensive ICE initiative aimed at those who prey on children, including human traffickers, international sex tourists, Internet pornographers, and foreign national predators whose crimes make them deportable. Since the initiative was launched in July of 2003, there have been more than 10,500 individuals arrested nationwide.

Additional information about Operation Predator is available on the Web at www.ice.gov. ICE encourages the reporting of 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 & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.

Sherwin's case was also part of Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level.

-- 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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