News Releases

Previously convicted sex offender pleads guilty to child pornography charge

MIDLAND, Texas - A west Texas man pleaded guilty March 1 to receiving child pornography, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Paul Michael Revell, 25, is a lifetime registered sex offender.

On Nov. 20, 2009, ICE agents executed a search warrant at Revell's residence where they seized his laptop computer. A forensic analysis of the computer revealed more than 100 images downloaded from the Internet that depicted sexually explicit child pornography.

Revell faces an enhanced mandatory minimum sentencing range because of a March 2005 conviction for possessing child pornography. Revell, who remains in federal custody, is scheduled to be sentenced May 6. He faces between 15 and 40 years in federal prison.

Revell's arrest was part of Operation Predator, an 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 ICE launched Operation Predator in 2003, more than 12,000 child sex predators, sex tourists and child pornographers have been arrested.

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.