News Releases and Statements

Michael Bonsignore, 44, of Dingmans Ferry, Pa., was charged with production, distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography between March 2007 and April 2011. Allegedly, Bonsignor produced child pornography videos and then distributed them over the Internet.

In a summary of more recent child exploitation cases in Connecticut, ICE HSI acknowledged the dedicated professionalism of the investigating agents and the successful prosecutions that have resulted in significant penalties for those who engaged in this vile behavior.

Corey James Loftin, 23, of El Cajon, Calif., was taken into custody at his residence early Friday where agents executed a federal search warrant, seizing four computers, various computer accessories, a pair of binoculars, a modified child's doll and children's underwear.

A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted 17 convicted sex offenders who failed to register with the Puerto Rico authorities after traveling to Puerto Rico from the continental United States.

Vincent Lee Evans, 30, of Fort Richardson, Alaska, became the target of an ICE HSI investigation following a referral from the German police in the state of Baden-Württemberg. German investigators provided evidence that Evans was using the Internet's peer-to-peer capabilities for illicit child pornography purposes.

Jon Leslie Lyons, 45, a former local high school teacher was sentenced on Wednesday to 10 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty in September 2010 to three counts of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

In less than one week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (ICE) special agents, arrested three Puerto Rican men on child pornography charges. The arrests coincide with April's Crimes Against Children Awareness Month.

Edward Bernas, 63, of Mundelein, Ill., a former competitive ice skating coach, was taken into federal custody Monday to begin serving a 14-year prison sentence for possessing child pornography. Bernas pleaded guilty in October to storing child pornography on his PC in 2008.

Derek Alan Lee, 44, of Orange Park, Fla., pleaded guilty in federal court today to receiving images and videos depicting child pornography over the Internet.

Gary Mack Johnson, 54, who is on bond, faces a statutory sentence of not less than five years or more than 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. Sentencing is set for Aug. 8.

A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment on Thursday charging former Ennis, Texas, resident Buddy Anderson with various child pornography/obscenity offenses. Persons hired to clean an abandoned apartment in Ennis discovered child pornography photographs.

Brian Keith Warren, 48, of Mesquite, Texas was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 20 years in federal prison, following his guilty plea in September 2010 to three counts of receiving child pornography.

Until shortly before his arrest in late November 2009, David Ray Gray, 61, was the Music Minister at the Mt. Olive Baptist Church near his residence in Scurry, Texas. On April 20, U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade also ordered that Gray serve a 10-year term of supervised release following his incarceration. He must surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on May 24.

Sharon Lee Anderson, 38, and her husband, Buddy Anderson, 39, were arrested March 24 by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on charges outlined in a federal criminal complaint.

Robert John Devalk, 38, of Saginaw, Texas, who pleaded guilty in November 2010 to one count of receiving child pornography, was also ordered to register as a sex offender and serve a lifetime of supervised release following his imprisonment. He has been in custody since his arrest in August 2010.

The former director of case management at Las Palmas Medical Center in El Paso was sentenced April 15 to 10 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography, following an investigation by special agents from U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Omar Jose Magana, 39, was also ordered to forfeit his home, valued at $152,605...

John E. Widdows, 72, of Cumberland, Md pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a minor to produce child pornography. Law enforcement seized from Widdows' home three videos of a prepubescent female engaging in sexually explicit conduct at Widdows' direction and at least 100 additional images of child pornography.

In addition to the prison time, Anthony Bernard Ellrodt, 38, will be subject to 25 years of supervised release upon completion of his sentence. Ellrodt was previously convicted in September 1994 in Harvey County, Kansas, for aggravated indecent liberties with a child, for which he received a 32-month prison term.

"Special Agent James ""JD"" Kanatzar, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), was presented the Crystal Kipper and Ali Kemp Memorial Award Thursday for his outstanding service to crime victims."

Douglas Lazarus, 49, a Michigan resident and prior sex offender, was sentenced Thursday on a child pornography conviction following a ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court in the case that held that viewing child pornography on websites constitutes possession of child pornography.

George Andrew Burkey, 34, who pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography via a peer-to-peer software sharing website, was sentenced in federal court to 85 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

William L. Ferguson, 38, of Burkburnett, Texas, pleaded guilty in November 2010 to one count of possessing child pornography. Judge O'Connor also ordered that Ferguson, who was taken into custody following the sentencing hearing, register as a sex offender and serve a lifetime of supervised release.

Herbert Poche, 60, of Jefferson, La., was sentenced in federal court today to 97 months in prison for receiving child pornography, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

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.

Donald J. Jones, III, 46, of Pemberton, N.J., was taken into custody after traveling from his home in New Jersey to Rhode Island in an alleged scheme to engage in sexual activity with a minor in a case investigated jointly with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).