Colorado man sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for transporting child pornography; used identity of officer with 'internet crimes against children'

DENVER — A Colorado man was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson to serve 30 years in federal prison for transporting child pornography.

This sentence was announced by the following agency heads: Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer, District of Colorado; Acting Special Agent in Charge John Eisert with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Denver; and Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Commander for Colorado Lieutenant Christina Sheppard of the Colorado Springs Police Department.

On May 6, 2015, a federal grand jury returned an Indictment charging Brandon Tyler Hill, 31, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Rhiannon Carnahan, of Woodland Park, Colorado, with child pornography related charges. Prior to the indictment, Hill and Carnahan were charged via Criminal Complaints. On March 31, 2016, Hill pleaded guilty to an Information charging three counts of transporting child pornography. After Hill serves his 30-federal prison sentence, he must also serve a lifetime of supervised release.  Carnahan has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 21.

According to court documents, the Colorado Springs Police Department initiated an investigation after a civilian witness reached out to law enforcement to report that Hill had sent unwanted child pornography images via email and was being extorted to produce more child pornography images. As part of the investigation, it was determined that Hill used numerous identities, including that of an ICAC police officer, to extort the civilian witness to produce child pornography.  The investigation revealed that Hill was also communicating online with co-defendant Rhiannon Carnahan, who he learned had access to a child who was 3 years old when the criminal conduct began. Hill made numerous and repeated requests for images and videos depicting the 3 year old engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Hill also used various pseudonyms, including the identity of an ICAC police officer, to communicate with Carnahan. During the course of the communications, and in response to Hill’s requests for child pornography depicting the 3 year old, Carnahan took sexually explicit images and videos of the child with her cellphone and sent them to Hill.  Hill has a prior conviction for criminal attempt to commit sexual exploitation of a child in El Paso County, Colorado.

“This defendant earned his way to a 30-year sentence:  he preyed on our most innocent and most vulnerable, and he pretended to be a cop at times while doing it,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer.

“This is a serious crime, and thanks to our officers and resources, the Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC), working with law enforcement partners, were able to investigate and apprehend this individual,” ICAC Commander and Colorado Springs Police Department Lieutenant Christina Sheppard said. “This defendant is going to prison for a long time thanks to the work of law enforcement and civilians, and in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This is an important fight to protect our children.”

This case was investigated by the Colorado Springs Police Department, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with support provided by the Woodland Park (Colorado) Police Department.

Hill was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alecia Riewerts, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, District of Colorado.

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 14,000 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 2015, nearly 2,400 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. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

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.