Missouri man, 77, sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography by sexually abusing young victim

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A 77-year-old Missouri man was sentenced Monday to 30 years in federal prison for recording his sexual abuse of a child victim. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Greene County (Missouri) Sheriff’s Department.

George Ralph Pollock, of Springfield, Missouri, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison without parole by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes. On April 3, 2018, Pollock pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a child.

Pollock admitted that he sexually abused a child victim from the age of 12 until she was 17 years old; he had been exchanging nude images via email and text since she was 15 years old. The child victim told investigators that Pollock had sexually abused her more than 100 times.

This investigation began on Aug. 16, 2016, when officers received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Pollock had attempted to upload and email an image of child pornography.

Officers executed a search warrant at Pollock’s residence and seized two cellphones and computers. Images of child pornography were found on those devices, as well as a VHS tape that depicted Pollock and the child victim engaged in sexual activity.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller, Western District of Missouri, prosecuted this case.

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 19,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child exploitation material, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2018, more than 3,000 (3,191) child predators were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 850 (859) 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.

HSI is a founding member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.