News Releases and Statements

On March 6, in the 359th Montgomery County (Texas) District Court, Jeffrey Pittman, 47, from Porter, Texas, pleaded guilty to and was ordered to serve 30 years in prison for continuous sexual assault of a child; he was also sentenced to 20 years for sexual assault of a child. Pittman’s sentences are to be served concurrently. He is not eligible for early parole.

Fetahe Makonnen, 35, was convicted and sentenced after being arrested in October 2017, in possession of two computer thumb drives containing approximately 1,300 images and videos depicting child pornography involving prepubescent children.

On Tuesday, Feb. 12, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Casa Grande and the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office arrested 45-year-old Scott Buckley of Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Philippine nationals were arrested for violations of the Philippine Republic Act 10364 (RA 10364) Expanded Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012, in relation to Republic Act 10175, Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, Philippine Republic Act 9775 (RA 9775), Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009, and Philippine Republic Act 9208 (RA 9208) as amended by RA 10364, Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.  RA 9208 is a no-bail offense and if convicted, they will be sentenced to life imprisonment. 

Josue Eduardo Cota, 33, of Douglas, Ariz., was sentenced Feb. 13, to serve 720 months in prison for producing and distributing child pornography following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

William Derek Williams, 39, of Cameron, Missouri, was charged with three counts of producing child pornography, involving three different minor victims, from Jan. 1, 2013, to Sept. 6, 2018. Williams is also charged with one count of possessing child pornography.

Timothy Robert Beasley, 51, from Del Rio, Texas, was sentenced Feb. 8 by U.S. District Judge Alia Moses who ordered Beasley to serve 120 months in prison. In addition, Beasley must also serve 10 years of supervised release after he completes his prison term; he must also pay $20,000 restitution to his victims. On Nov. 30, 2016, Beasley pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.

Michael Portanova, age 28, admitted that he used his cell phone to receive images and videos of child pornography, using a file-sharing network on the internet between August 2017 and Oct. 30, 2017, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

Austin Jones, 26, of Bloomingdale, Illinois, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography.

At the plea hearing, Jerry Matthew Berry admitted to producing obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children and distributing child pornography in 2017 and 2018. Cyber Crimes detectives from Tulsa Police Department and HSI special agents discovered Berry’s illicit activities during a peer-to-peer file-sharing undercover investigation.

John Goelz, 30, exploited his position of trust and authority with one of his student athletes, a minor, for his own sexual gratification.

Bryan James Hogle, 43, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland to serve 45 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Hogle also has a prior conviction for sexually abusing a child in New Hampshire in 2008.

Kyle Dale Ritsema, 36, of Land O’Lakes, pleaded guilty today to producing, distributing and possessing child pornography. He was arrested Feb. 13 by HSI special agents.

According to court documents, Frank Miles, III, 32, of Rockledge, transported at least 69 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children less than 12 years old to his online storage accounts.  State law enforcement officers arrested Miles and charged him with possession of child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Keith Edward Taylor, age 33, of Kingsville, Maryland, today to 27 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release for production of child pornography.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

Kenneth B. Hendricks, 77, of Cincinnati, was arrested by Manila-based HSI special agents alongside Filipino  authorities Tuesday evening in the Philippines, where he currently serves as a missionary priest.

Brandon Hileman, 25, of Lebanon, Missouri, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to the charge contained in an Oct. 18, 2017, federal indictment.

Alexander Isaiah Perez, 22, of Metro Denver, appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody and was remanded at its conclusion. This sentence was handed down by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Marcia S. Krieger.

The criminal complaint alleges that Ruben Darío Báez-Aponte, 40, shared sexually explicit images and videos with a 14-year-old minor and, on several occasions, transported the victim to his home to engage in criminal sexual conduct.