Massachusetts man indicted on child pornography charges

BOSTON - A Massachusetts man was indicted Wednesday on child pornography charges in a case investigated jointly by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Dedham Police Department.

Donald F. Slason, 57, of Dedham, Mass., was named in an indictment charging him with transportation and possession of child pornography.

The indictment alleges that Slason knowingly transported child pornography in 2007, and possessed child pornography in 2008. The images transported and possessed by Slason contained visual depictions of minors under the age of 18 engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

If convicted on these charges, Slason faces up to 20 years in prison for transportation of child pornography and 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography. He also faces a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Carmen M. Ortiz and Special Agent in Charge of ICE HSI in Boston Bruce M. Foucart.

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide 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 Operation Predator was launched in July 2003, ICE agents have arrested more than 12,800 individuals.

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.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Yoon of Ortiz's Major Crimes Unit and Trial Attorney Bonnie Kane of the Department of Justice's Child Exploitation & Obscenity Section.