News Releases and Statements

Daniel Peggs, 32, of Altoona, Wisconsin, was indicted Feb. 12 by a federal grand jury. The indictment, unsealed after his arrest, alleges he recruited a minor to engage in a commercial sex act, and caused the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography using a cell phone.

Terry Lee Miksell, 63, of Diamond, Missouri, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. This indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Miksell Jan. 28.

Ernesto Gomez-Enciso, 36, of Phoenix, pleaded guilty to two felony counts. In each count, Gomez-Enciso admitted to possessing a sexually explicit video involving a child who was estimated to be less than 13 years of age.

On Sept. 9, 2019, Dennis H. West, 44, of Atwood, Illinois, pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual exploitation of minors in 2017 and 2018.

According to court documents and admissions made in connection to his plea agreement, Colonel Mark Visconi, 48, of Fairfax, received and attempted to receive child pornography through the Internet.

The case against Donald Dale Knuckles, 61, of Phoenix, began in November of 2018 when HSI special agents in Phoenix observed a computer that was sharing digital files containing graphic depictions of child sexual exploitation over a peer-to-peer file sharing network.

Jack Eugene Knight, 54, of Valley, Nebraska, was sentenced on two counts of receiving child pornography and two counts of possessing child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr.  Knight was convicted of the offenses following a four-day jury trial in October 2019.

Operation Silent Predator was an undercover operation targeting the demand for 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. 26 suspects were identified for soliciting and/or brokering deals for various sex acts and were subsequently arrested.

Pedro Angel Garcia, 26, from Brownsville, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Rolando Olvera to 78 months for distribution of child pornography. Garcia was also sentenced to 78 months for receipt and possession of child pornography.

This multi-day operation involved HSI, Washington State Patrol (WSP), local Snohomish County law enforcement agencies and several partner agencies. These cases will be reviewed by the Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to determine whether or what criminal charges should be filed.

William Derek Williams, 40, of Cameron, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 20 years in federal prison without parole.

Charles Lopez, 27, was arrested at his residence following a months-long criminal investigation after HSI and LBI executed a federal search warrant April 30, 2019, at Lopez’s home, where evidence was obtained indicating Lopez received images and videos depicting sexual exploitation of minors.

Marcos German Mendez, 32, is charged with: two counts of using a minor to produce child pornography; one count of transporting child pornography; and, one count of possession of child pornography on his cell phone.

Joseph Charles Nolan, 51, was sentenced by Commissioner Julie LaFave in Maricopa Superior Court also who also ordered him to serve a consecutive term of lifetime probation in addition to requiring him to register as a sex offender.

Darryl Gartley, 23, pleaded guilty on Aug. 12, 2019, to two counts of sex trafficking minors before U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon of the District of Oregon, who sentenced him earlier today and remanded him to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.