July 26, 2007

Former children's respiratory therapist sentenced to 45 years for molesting incapacitated patients
Defendant among most prolific traders of child pornography on popular file sharing network

SAN DIEGO - A 55-year-old former respiratory therapist, whose home computer contained one of the largest caches of child pornography images ever uncovered locally, was sentenced yesterday to 45 years and 8 months in state prison.

Wayne Albert Bleyle pleaded guilty last month in San Diego Superior Court to molesting incapacitated patients at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. He admitted to five felony counts of child pornography and eight felony counts of forcible lewd acts on a child.

Bleyle had worked at the children's hospital for 25 years when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested him in March 2006. At that time, he was assigned to the hospital's convalescent ward where he cared for severely brain damaged and comatose nonverbal patients.

"ICE is committed to bringing all of its law enforcement resources to bear on cases like this that involve the greatest violations of public trust," said Miguel Unzueta, special agent in charge of the office of ICE investigations in San Diego. "The children Bleyle victimized were 'voiceless.' Because of our joint efforts, this predator will no longer be able to harm innocent children in this community."

During a year-long investigation by ICE, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the San Diego Police Department Child Abuse Unit, agents traced more than 100,000 images of child pornography to Bleyle's home computer. Agents estimate at least 400 of those images were among those he exchanged in a popular child pornography file-sharing network, where he was known as one of the top traders.

This investigation is part of ICE's Operation Predator, an initiative aimed at those who sexually exploit children. ICE welcomes the assistance of the public in catching predators. Members of the public wishing to report suspicious activity may contact ICE at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or Operation.Predator@dhs.gov. Additionally, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an ICE partner on Operation Predator, can be contacted at 1-800-843-5678 or www.cybertipline.com. Additional information about the operation is posted at www.ice.gov.

-- 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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