News Releases and Statements

Ronny Lee Waldrip, 63, originally came under suspicion after he traveled to Honolulu in February 2012. Upon his arrival, law enforcement discovered Waldrip brought a laptop computer containing sexually explicit photos and videos of minors, including videos showing Waldrip engaging in sexually explicit conduct with minor females.

HSI special agents arrested Angel L. Gonzalez-Acevedo, 50, at his place of residence after receiving information from the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD) regarding a cellular phone that allegedly belonged to Gonzalez-Acevedo containing sexually explicit material involving a minor later identified as Jane Doe.

Aung Gaw, 26, aka Michael Gaw, of Fremont, California, pleaded guilty to the child pornography charge following his arrest in November 2013 after HSI special agents executed a search warrant at his California residence.

Talon G. Wright, 38, of Urbana, Illinois, was indicted on two counts of sexually exploiting a minor and one count of possessing child pornography.

Miguel Angel Macias, 54, of Friendswood, Texas, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison by U.S. Circuit Judge Gregg Costa on each conviction. In handing down the concurrent sentences, Judge Costa noted the large number of child pornography images attributed to Macias — more than 20,000. Macias was further ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender. Macias pleaded guilty to the charges July 23.

Donald Record, 52, was sentenced Tuesday to 40 months in federal prison following his guilty plea in May to possessing prepubescent child pornography.

Michael Elliot Papac, 47, of Alturas, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez for receiving and distributing child pornography. Upon completion of his prison term, Papac will be subject to a lifetime of supervised release.

Colombia is the latest country to join the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement and private sector agencies dedicated to combating online child sexual exploitation and other forms of transnational child sexual exploitation. An official signing-in ceremony was held in Amsterdam, which was attended by the Colombian ambassador to the Netherlands His Excellency Eduardo Pizarro Leon Gomez and General William Rene Salamanca, Director of Special Service, Colombian National Police.

Christopher Wayne Howard, 26, of Joshua, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of transferring obscene material to a minor. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings ordered a presentence investigation report; a sentencing date will be set after that report is completed. Howard remains on bond.

Terry Lee Clark, 48, of Corpus Christi, was contacted by authorities after receiving an anonymous tip in July. Clark gave permission to law enforcement to search his residence. During the search, a computer was discovered in his bedroom with child pornography on the screen. The computer and several media storage devices were seized revealing several images and videos containing child pornography.

The LOI, aimed to combat child pornography, was signed between Attaché Cho and SMPA Director General Chul-Jun Kim. It formally recognizes the partnership between HSI Seoul and SMPA in investigating cybercrimes, reinforces the outstanding working relationship between HSI Seoul and the SMPA in combatting child pornography and brings the issue to the forefront within Korean society.

On Feb. 28, HSI special agents arrested Jose Fernando Rodriguez-Vargas, of Carolina, after they received information from the Puerto Rico Police Department regarding Rodriguez-Vargas's attempt to use his cellular telephone to clandestinely take photographs of a 14-year-old girl at a local supermarket.

The following 11 defendants pleaded guilty to child porography charges in April; they were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy of Missoula: Tony Bronson, 53, from Gary, Indiana; Charles Crosby, 43, from Trenton, New Jersey; Steve Humiston, 57, from Tacoma, Washington; John Johnson, 58, from Locust Grove, Virginia; Robert Krise, 66, from Gaithersburg, Maryland; Scott Long, 53, from Portland, Oregon; Ian Nosek, 42, from Charlottesville, Virginia; Phillip Morris, 42, from Jeffersonville, Indiana; Joseph Purificato, 23, from Mount Vernon, Missouri; Paul Wencewicz, a 48-year-old resident of Polson, Montana; Jeffrey Woolley, 53, from Nicholasville, Kentucky.

Jeremiah Malfroid, 33, was charged by criminal complaint Oct. 20 for production, receipt, distribution and possession of child pornography. Following a search of Malfroid's former Columbus-area residence in connection with the probe, officers with the Franklin County ICAC found nearly 700 sexually explicit videos of minors on his laptop computer and other digital media.

HSI special agents arrested Pedro Andujar-Maldonado, 31, after a referral from the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit led to an investigation revealing that a person with Andujar-Maldonado’s computer Internet Protocol address logged on to the Internet and shared child pornography through the peer-to-peer network known as Emule.

HSI special agents arrested Harry Rosario-Cosme, 40, at his home in the municipality of Corozal after a preliminary investigation revealed that he attempted to produce sexually explicit images of a 14-year-old girl.

Robert Ruben Ornelas, 63, of Santa Ana, was taken into federal custody Friday afternoon after being named in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.

HSI special agents arrested Thomas J. Carey, 36, in June 2009, after special agents obtained a search warrant for his residence based upon a lead from the Swiss National Police and Interpol.

U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade remanded Meliton Torres, 32, of Lancaster, Texas, who had been on bond, into custody.

John Lincoln Hoblit, 58, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey to 120 months in federal prison Oct. 22. This prison sentence will be followed by 10 years of supervised release, including numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the Internet. Hoblit will also be required to again register as a sex offender.

Domenic “John” Pighetti, 70, of Polk City, Iowa, was sentenced Oct. 22 by U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Gritzner to five years in prison for knowingly possessing child pornography.

According to the investigation, Dejuan J. Miller, 33, was the subject of an investigation involving a person promoting child pornography over the Internet.

Reymundo Alejandro Sanchez, 21, from Abilene, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to one count of possessing child pornography.

ICE Deputy Director Daniel Ragsdale today joined U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), Chief of Transition Initiatives, Lieutenant Colonel Kimberly Moros and National Association to Protect Children (PROTECT) Executive Director Grier Weeks at a swearing in ceremony for 13 veterans – many of whom were wounded in the line of duty – as part of the second graduating class of Human Exploitation Rescue Operative Corps, or HERO Corps.

Dontre D’Sean McHenry, aka Dontre Sean McHenry, aka Avon, aka Rico, pleaded guilty Oct. 17 to sex trafficking a minor before Judge David S. Doty in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. McHenry, 25, of St. Paul, is expected to be sentenced at a future court appearance.