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Former teacher sentenced to 36 years in prison for child sexual exploitation after HSI Chicago-led investigation
After US crimes, perpetrator worked as teacher overseas while attempting to buy infant with intent of sexually abusing child and distributing child exploitation materials
ROCKFORD, Ill. — On May 12, U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard sentenced Nathan Tauck, 32, to 36 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of court-supervised release and to pay $60,000 in restitution. Tauck was convicted of sexual exploitation of children following a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigation.
“This perpetrator will now serve a lengthy sentence and be unable to participate in this detestable behavior against children thanks to the dedicated work of our HSI personnel,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald. “Tauck betrayed his position of trust overseas, where he continued to exploit children and going as far as trying to purchase an infant to sexually abuse the child. The efforts by international, federal, state and local partners brought this individual to justice.”
In a plea agreement, Tauck admitted that in 2015, he knowingly persuaded and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child sexual abuse material, which he then shared on a social media application. He also admitted to possessing more than 600 images and videos of child sexual abuse material, three of which he shared on social media.
Shortly after committing the exploitation offense in Rockford, Tauck moved to Europe and later to China, where he worked as a teacher and possessed and distributed child sexual abuse material. While in China, Tauck exchanged sexual exploitation materials online with another person and indicated that he was attempting to purchase an infant with the intent of sexually abusing the child.
Tauck was detained in China and sent back to the United States in 2018 after HSI collaborated with Chinese authorities.
Fitzgerald announced the sentence with acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Morris Pasqual. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus represented the government.
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
Learn more about HSI’s mission to combat child exploitation in our community on Twitter @HSIChicago.
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