Admitted child pornographer who used ‘spy camera’ gets 12-year prison term

PHOENIX – A Mesa man who admitted trading child pornography online and using hidden cameras to take sexually explicit images of women was sentenced Thursday to 12 years in state prison, following a probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

Marshall MacDonald, 20, who pleaded guilty in March to state child sexual exploitation charges, first fell under suspicion in August 2013 when HSI began investigating an Internet user who hosted an international file sharing website. The website user claimed to have images of what appeared to be a woman using the bathroom and boasted the pictures were taken with a spy camera. 

The ensuing probe revealed MacDonald was the individual who posted the images on the website and that he sent and received images of child pornography as well. The images of child pornography depicted minors as young as infants. HSI executed a search warrant at MacDonald’s residence in December 2013, seizing computers, digital media, and two spy pen cameras. He was arrested on 10 counts of possession of child pornography and three counts of voyeurism.

Under questioning, MacDonald admitted using a spy pen camera to record women using the bathroom.  He also admitted to accessing the file sharing website and to sending and receiving child pornography.

“The sexual exploitation of children is one of the most despicable crimes in our society,” said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. “I have vowed to protect the most vulnerable members of our society and I thank HSI for their diligence in stopping this perpetrator.”

Following his release from prison, MacDonald will be placed on probation for life and required to register as a sex offender.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Joseph Waters.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 10,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2014, more than 2,300 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196. Both are 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, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.