Convicted Bakersfield sex offender pleads guilty to child pornography charges
FRESNO, Calif. - A convicted child sex offender faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty here Monday to federal child pornography charges stemming from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations and the Kern County Sheriff's Office.
Edward Teichrow, 63, of Bakersfield, Calif., pleaded guilty to possessing images of child pornography. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California.
According to court documents, in March 2010, Kern County Sheriff's Office investigators discovered that Teichrow was not in compliance with a sex offender registration requirement that obligated him to update his most recent address. A search of Teichrow's computer and an external storage device revealed that he had saved at least 15 images of child pornography and had accessed numerous other images. He was charged and convicted in state court for failing to register as a sex offender, and was also charged in federal court for possessing child pornography. Teichrow has been held as a flight risk and danger to the community since his initial appearance here in federal court February 25.
"Every time these illegal images are produced, transmitted, or viewed, a child is victimized," said Michael Toms, Resident Agent in Charge of HSI in Bakersfield. "Addressing this sordid matter remains a high priority for the men and women of HSI, and we will continue to seek out and bring to justice those who mistakenly believe the Internet shields them from detection."
Teichrow is scheduled to be sentenced June 20 by Chief U.S. District Judge Anthony W. Ishii. He faces a sentence of at least 10 years up to a maximum of 20 years in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release, during which he will be required to register as a sex offender, and his access to minors, computers, and the Internet will be restricted.
This case is part of ICE's Operation Predator, a nationwide initiative to identify, investigate and arrest those who sexually exploit children, and the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood, which marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet.
As part of 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. 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.
Through Project Safe Childhood (PSC), the Department of Justice is seeking to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC mobilizes federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For additional information on the PSC initiative, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov or call the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California and ask to speak with the PSC coordinator.
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