News Releases and Statements

John Whitley Richards, 40, of Clovis, Calif., a former substitute teacher and girls' softball coach at Fresno High School, surrendered to authorities Monday. The second Fresno-area man indicted on child pornography charges is Joshua B. Werner, 26, of Fresno, Calif. Werner was charged July 28 with one count of receiving and sharing images of child pornography.

Julian Gonzalez of Mission, Texas, was convicted on Friday of receiving child pornography via the Internet after an investigation conducted by U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). ICE HSI discovered 136 child pornographic movies of clearly young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

On Thursday, Matthew James Bodden, 25, of Nederland, Texas, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography in a case investigated by U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Beaumont Police Department (BPD) and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO).

On Thursday, Louis E. Gray, 40, of Fort Worth, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography in a case investigated by U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Matthew J. Merideth, 34, of Amarillo, Texas, formerly of Saginaw, Texas, has been in federal custody since his arrest in October 2010 on a related charge in a federal criminal complaint.

Rafael Gonzalez was arrested Friday on a criminal complaint for distribution and possession of child pornography following an investigation by HSI and the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.

On July 20, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Julio Rodriguez-Del Valle, 45, of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, for using, persuading, enticing and coercing a male and female minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct, specifically lascivious exhibition of the genital areas, for the purpose of producing a video image using a hidden..

Jack Labrosse, 42, of Green Bay, Wis., was convicted of knowingly transporting images and videos of child pornography on a U.S. Airways flight from Green Bay to New Orleans on July 18, 2010. A computer forensic examination of Labrosse's computer by ICE HSI agents revealed 5,853 images and 51 videos depicting the sexual victimization of children. According to statements Labrosse made to federal agents, he flew from Wisconsin to Louisiana with his laptop computer that contained images and videos depicting child pornography.

Manu Panatkul, 51, was taken into custody Friday night by agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) shortly after arriving on a Korean Airlines flight from his native country.

Robert Hedrick, 60, is president of the Brownsville-based Pan American Airways which provides cargo air service between the United States and Mexico. Hedrick is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Felix Recio on July 19. The United States expects to request that the court detain Hendricks in federal custody without bond pending further criminal proceedings.

Branden M. Scott, 29, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison to be followed by 20 years of supervised release. Scott will also have to register as a sex offender.

Dieter David Palmer, 42, of Houston, was arrested on July 12 following the return of a five-count indictment on June 22. In custody since his arrest, Palmer was ordered released on a $50,000 bond by U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen W. Smith following a hearing.

Michael J. Marceau, 43, and Lisa A. Ford, 35, both pleaded guilty this spring in federal court to 12 counts of producing child pornography and 12 counts of being a parent or guardian and allowing a child to be used to produce child pornography.

Adrian Alvarado, 25, pleaded guilty on Feb. 22 to receiving child pornography on Oct. 29, 2010. The images and videos consisted of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack handed down the 170-month sentence.

Robert J. Kloss, Jr., 37, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

David Valenica, 43, of Merced, Calif., has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for traveling with the intent to engage in sexual activity with a minor.

Judge Hovland sentenced Christopher Newman, 22, to five years in a federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Newman was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim's Fund, and he must register as a sex offender.

Thomas Humphries, 63, of Portsmouth, faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on Oct. 18, 2011.

Daryl Demkey, 28, of Roswell, Ga., was sentenced to 23 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. He is also required to register as a sex offender upon his release from custody. Demkey pled guilty to the charges on Sept. 1, 2010.

James Damian Newsom, 52, from Groves, Texas, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on July 12 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Earl S. Hines. According to court records, on May 28, 2010, a federal investigation led to the search of Newsom's personal computer at his residence.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton ordered Louis E. Gray, 40, of Fort Worth, detained pending further court proceedings. Gray has been in custody since July 6 when law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence.

Charles Todd Stokes, 49, taught physical education in the Miami-Dade County public school system between 1985 and 1998. In 2002, he traveled to Thailand where he lived for several years to have sex with minors. Stokes was convicted in June 2010 in U.S. District Court in Chicago, following his extradition from Thailand.

Candice Marie Miller from Alva, Fla., pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of possession of child pornography, two counts of transporting child pornography and two counts of producing child pornography.

Mark Tilford, a U.S. Navy "JAG" officer, was sentenced on Friday to 10 years and five months in federal prison following his convictions for receiving and distributing child pornography.

A Fall River, Mass., man now awaits trial for allegedly persuading a 15-year-old girl he met on the Internet to travel from Rhode Island to Massachusetts for sex.