News Releases

Alaska man indicted on child pornography charges

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A federal grand jury indicted an Anchorage, Alaska, man Wednesday on child pornography charges, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Andrew William Young, 46, is charged with receipt, attempted receipt and possession of child pornography. He remains in federal custody awaiting trial.

According to the indictment, Young received illegal digital videos of child pornography on his computer starting in September 2009 and he attempted to receive similar illegal videos in October 2009. Further analysis of his computer revealed that child pornography was stored on the hard drive.

"Innocent children are victimized every time an image of child pornography is viewed," said Leigh Winchell, special agent in charge of ICE's Office of Investigations that oversees Alaska. "ICE will continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney's office and our law enforcement partners to investigate this type of crime in order to protect the community from child predators."

Federal law provides for a minimum mandatory sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the receipt and attempted receipt counts. Possession of child pornography can carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and total fines of up to $750,000.

This case is being investigated as part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to identify, investigate and arrest those who prey on children, including human traffickers, international sex tourists, Internet pornographers, and foreign national predators whose crimes make them deportable. Launched in July 2003, ICE agents have arrested more than 11,600 individuals under Operation Predator.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423. 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.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

ICE was joined in the investigation by the Anchorage Police Department and the Alaska State Troopers.