News Releases and Statements

An undercover investigation of Kent Lowery Booher, 64, of Harriman, Tennessee, a convicted sex offender, revealed that he began communicating on Facebook with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. Over a period of five days, he used Facebook, text messaging, and telephone calls to attempt to entice the individual to engage in sexual activity. In March 2019, Booher was arrested by local law enforcement while on the way to meet with a minor child.

“HSI agents make it a top priority to work with all of our law enforcement partners to investigate predators involved with the production, distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material,” said Jerry C. Templet, Jr, special agent in charge of HSI Nashville. “Each year, millions of children fall prey to sexual predators, and it is imperative that we do our part to protect vulnerable children from victimization and ensure the perpetrators are punished for their heinous crimes.”

Daniel Corbett, 32, who held a position of public trust as a former case manager at a nonprofit organization assisting homeless families was sentenced for the possession of child pornography, April 6, as the result of an HSI probe.

Roberto Martinez, 28, also was ordered to be placed on supervised release for three years after completing his prison term.

Richard Neils Dutton, 52, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 200 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation of children, HSI Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer and Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. announced today. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Dutton serve the remainder of his life on supervised release, following his prison sentence. Dutton pleaded guilty to the charge on November 4, 2020.

Cornell D.A. Johnson, 24, of Chicago was described by Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm as a “ringmaster,” who engaged in an “exercise of power,” to prey on victims of a vulnerable age for his pleasure and satisfaction.

Brandon Scott Parsons, 28, of Bay City, Michigan, was also five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Thomas L. Ludington. Parsons pleaded guilty Dec. 23, 2020.

Johnathan Scott Mason, 27, of Paris, Kentucky, pleaded guilty in January 2021.  According to his plea agreement, in March 2020, law enforcement officers discovered Mason’s activity on the social media application (app), Kik.

Duane Richard Forrest, 48, of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, was sentenced to a total of fifty years for photographing and videotaping his sexual exploitation of two boys in their early teens. He was also ordered to pay $10,200 in special assessments.

Anthony Brett Banks, 30, formerly of Kannapolis, North Carolina, previously pleaded guilty to a superseding indictment charging him with transportation of child pornography and causing another person to transport and ship child pornography in interstate commerce.

Jason Christopher Davis, 48, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty Oct. 3, 2018, to production of child pornography.

Operation Leather Mitt targeted the demand for child sex crimes and human trafficking in the area.

HSI agents arrested Austin Kidd, 27, March 17, 2021, at his residence. After appearing before a U.S. Magistrate Judge, he was ordered held in custody pending trial.

Chance Wallace, 47, from Brownsville, was ordered to serve 15 years in federal prison to be followed by eight years of supervised released.

Agents from the Honolulu Office of HSI arrested 65-year-old Victor Aguilar, of Kauai, Thursday morning. He faces two counts of sexual exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing child pornography.

Nathanael Dougall, 39, of Tucson, was sentenced by United States District Judge James Soto; he previously pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography on Aug. 16, 2019.

Former Fire Chief Otis Garbe, received an indeterminate 58.5-month to life prison sentence Wednesday, with the additional conditions of lifetime community custody and registration as a sex offender, after attempting to meet a female child he believed was 13 years old for the purpose of having sex in a Richland, Washington, park. 

As the result of a probe by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Las Vegas, assisted by the Northern Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Eric Blair McCartt, aka Aeryne McCartt, 37, of Reno, pleaded guilty in Jan. 2019, to producing child pornography.

The HERO, or Human Exploitation Rescue Operative corps is an annual initiative managed by the HSI Cyber Crimes Center in partnership with the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Association to Protect Children (PROTECT).

Operation Keiki Shield 7 was led by Maui Police Department and was part of a joint effort by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), including resources from HSI Honolulu, the State of Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General, the United States Secret Service and the FBI.

Michael David Miller, 40, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Miller previously pleaded guilty June 2, to the coercion and enticement of a minor.

Jason Wesley Matthews, 45, was arrested at his home in the 3500 block of Proud Eagle Way after HSI special agents executed federal search warrants at his residence. The Texas Department of Public Safety assisted in the case.

Ray Donald Farley, 38, alias Ray Donald Lucero, Jr., of Wyoming, was sentenced March 1 to 150 years in prison for three counts of the production of child pornography.

Christopher Willoughby pleaded guilty to multiple counts of production of child pornography Aug. 17, 2020. He was remanded to the Bureau of Prisons in the District of Wyoming.

Operation Broken Hearts was an undercover operation targeting sexual predators engaged in child sex crimes and human trafficking. Throughout the operational period, officers and undercover detectives placed ads on websites and apps which are commonly sought out by suspects seeking illegal sex acts with children. These 37 suspects solicited and/or brokered deals for various sex acts and were subsequently arrested.