Their Goal Is Getting Child Sex Offenders Off The Streets by Jack Swint.
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What Is Project Safe Childhood?
According to the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) website, Project Safe Childhood is a unified and comprehensive strategy to combat child exploitation. Initiated in May, 2006, PSC combines law enforcement efforts, community action, and public awareness. The goal is to reduce the incidence of sexual abuse of children. On May 17, 2011 Deputy Attorney General James Cole stated … “Across all components of the Department, fighting child exploitation is one of the Department’s highest priorities. In the last decade, the FBI, U.S.
Attorneys, and the Criminal Division have investigated and prosecuted more offenders than ever before. The U.S. Marshals have recovered thousands of fugitive sex offenders under their mandate in the Adam Walsh Act." One of the chief mandates of PSC is to expand efforts to coordinate and cooperate with federal, tribal, state, local, and international organizations and agencies in the fight to prevent and interdict in the sexual exploitation of children. Working closely with each other, to pool intelligence and resources to ensure that offenders who seek to entice and compromise children are brought to justice.
National Statistics
Since FY 2006, the Department of Justice has filed 8,464 Project Safe Childhood (PSC) cases against 8,637 defendants. These cases include prosecutions of online enticement of children to engage in sexual activity, interstate transportation of children to engage in sexual activity, production, distribution and possession of child pornography, and other offenses. Since 1994, child pornography and the transportation of children for the purpose of sexual exploitation crimes has drastically increased by 100%.
There were 169 cases of child pornography back in 1994 compared to 2,539 in 2006. Sex transportation cases grew in the same time period from 37 to 521 while the number of actual sex abuse cases stayed about the same. (600) Data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission shows that federal judges are also committed to ensure the safety of children from child exploitation. Between 2002 and 2008, records show a 65 percent increase in sentence enhancements by the courts for offenders whose crime demonstrated abuse that is more sadistic, masochistic, or produced violent images.
One study found that 21 percent of child pornography offenders had images and material that depicted violence such as bondage, rape or torture, adding that most of these images involved children who were gagged, bound, blindfolded, or otherwise enduring sadistic sex. Sentences ranging from 20 to 30 years and even life in prison have become common in the federal court systems, and rightfully so.
In September of 2008, 37 year old Matthew Cook Casey of Matewan, WV, was sentenced to life in prison by United States District Judge David A. Faber for kidnapping and raping a five year-old girl. On December 14, 2006, CASEY kidnapped a 5-year-old girl from her residence in Williamson (Mingo County) West Virginia. After kidnapping the child victim, Casey brutally raped the child in his car. Casey had, earlier the same day, kidnapped and raped a 55-year-old woman in South Williamson, Kentucky. At his sentencing, Casey addressed the Court stating "I wish you could give me the death penalty." In imposing the maximum sentence, Judge Faber stated that Casey’s conduct was "outrageous" and in sentencing him to life, he intended to "incapacitate him for the longest time possible."
In January 2011, U.S. District Judge Marcia M. Howard sentenced Ian Sean Gordon (age 29, of Tallahassee) to life in federal prison for child sex trafficking. The child performed commercial sex acts at his command at least 50 times. On some occasions, Gordon would transport the child to the locations where she would engage in commercial sex acts. At other times, offenders would come to hotels where Gordon and the child were staying to engage in commercial sex acts. Also in January 2011, Dwain D. Williams, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge W. Louis Sands (Valdosta Georgia) to life in prison for child sex abuse offenses. One victim testified that Williams had raped her beginning at the age of nine years old until she was thirteen.
West Virginia Sex Crime Task Force(s) And Statistics
The West Virginia State Police spearheads the state’s efforts in the apprehension of child predators. The WV Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) is comprised of investigators from 56 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. According to statistics we obtained from US Attorneys offices in WV, investigations produced 52 federal cases between May 2008 and June 2010. Of those, 48 were prosecuted under the Project Safe Childhood. An additional 56 cases were submitted for review.
There were 294 forensic exams conducted to identify files that contain child sexual abuse images. This includes examination of video, text, or picture files; examination of chat logs, e-mails, or other communication programs; and / or examination of file storage and structure.) The task force also received 76 cybertips. The average sentence handed down by federal judges in WV for these sex crimes was 10 years, with higher end ranges that included 20, 30 and 40 year sentences. One offender was sentenced to life in prison. Below is a list of some of the worst of the worst women and men arrested, convicted and sentenced under the “Project Safe Childhood”
NOTE: There are currently 3, 207 registered state and federal sex offenders living in WV. This also includes the 21 out of state “sexual predators” living in this state.
Apprehension Of Sex Offenders Who Fail To Register Or Comply
The United States Marshals Service has a long history of recovering fugitives. In 2006, the Adam Walsh Act tasked them with primary responsibility for locating and apprehending sex offenders who fail to register as required on state sex offender registries as well as initiating federal investigations into sex offender registration violations and related offenses in noncompliance of the Act.
Since July 2006, the USMS has apprehended approximately 40,000 (nationally) fugitives wanted for sexual assaults, sex offender registration violations and other sex crimes. Additionally, investigators have opened more than 2,200 investigations on convicted sex offenders for violations of the Act and arrested more than 770 individuals who have been federally charged. As part of the overall strategy, the USMS also launched a nationwide operation in 2010 targeting the top 500 most dangerous, non-compliant sex offenders in the nation.
United States Marshal John Foster commented on the goals and statistics in WV… “The Marshals Service in the Southern District of West Virginia has conducted over fourteen (14) sex offender compliance sweeps over the last year with the West Virginia State Police and various county and local law enforcement agencies, to include members of our CUFFED Fugitive Task Force. During these sweeps, the sex offender registration of over 1,100 offenders has been verified, updated, and resulted in numerous arrests for non-compliance to West Virginia and Federal law.”
Project Safe Childhood’s Worst Of The Worst In WV
MATTHEW COOK CASEY, 37, of Matewan, WV, was sentenced to life in prison by United States District Judge David A. Faber for kidnapping and raping a five year-old girl. On December 14, 2006, CASEY kidnapped a 5-year-old girl from her residence in Williamson, Mingo County, West Virginia. After kidnapping the child victim, Casey brutally raped the child in his car. Casey had, earlier the same day, kidnapped and raped a 55-year-old woman in South Williamson, Kentucky.
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JOSHUA MICHAEL RIDINGS was sentenced to forty (40) years imprisonment to be followed by supervised release for the remainder of his life. Ridings entered a plea of guilty on October 15, 2008, to one count of an Indictment charging him with crossing a state line with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a person who had not attained the age of 12 years on February 20, 2007, in Wheeling, West Virginia, when RIDINGS abducted an 11 year old girl in Wheeling and sexually assaulted her in Belmont County, Ohio. His projected release date is December 2042.
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JOSHUA MICHAEL RIDINGS was sentenced to forty (40) years imprisonment to be followed by supervised release for the remainder of his life. Ridings entered a plea of guilty on October 15, 2008, to one count of an Indictment charging him with crossing a state line with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a person who had not attained the age of 12 years on February 20, 2007, in Wheeling, West Virginia, when RIDINGS abducted an 11 year old girl in Wheeling and sexually assaulted her in Belmont County, Ohio. His projected release date is December 2042.
BRADLEY BARRETT was sentenced to 405 months imprisonment to be followed by lifetime supervision. Barrett, a tour bus driver, entered a plea of guilty on April 23, 2010, to the transportation of a minor girl from West Virginia to a Virginia hotel as part of a tour of Washington, DC, in June 2008, with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. No release date information was found.
CLYDE H. HALL, JR., 37, of Point Pleasant, WV, was sentenced by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. to 30 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Hall previously pled guilty in May 2008, admitting he produced child pornography. From 2004 through 2006, Hall coerced, persuaded and enticed multiple children to engage in sexually explicit conduct so that Hall could take pictures of the same. HALL took over 20 pictures of the minors using a Polaroid camera. His projected release date in February 2029.
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STACEY NICOLE FARMER, 33, of Squire, McDowell County, West Virginia was sentenced to the maximum statutory term of 20 years in prison by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger for involving a minor under her care in child pornography. Farmer previously pleaded guilty in June 2010, admitting that from February through May 2009, at her home in McDowell County, she produced images of a minor under her care engaging in sexually explicit conduct. No release date given.
JOHN CHARLES WELLMAN, 68, of Bluefield, WV was sentenced to 25 years in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release for receiving and possessing child pornography, and for receiving child pornography while being required to register as a sex offender. During the investigation, troopers learned that Wellman, a former school photographer, had been previously convicted of the first degree sexual abuse of a six year old boy. His projected release date is February 2029.
JAMIE MICHAEL OVERSTREET, 29, OF Huntington was sentenced to 240 months for his admitted involvement in a nationwide ring of individuals engaged in the sexual abuse of children and the production and trafficking in child pornography. A subsequent forensic analysis of Overstreet's computer revealed hundreds of images and videos of pre-pubescent minors engaged in sexual activity. Many of these images and videos were produced by Overstreet. Child pornographic images were also located on compact discs belonging to Overstreet. His projected release date is February 2026.
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ROBERT DALE EADY, 43, of Branchland, WV was sentenced to 15 years in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release for distributing child pornography. Eady admitted he produced several images of child pornography using a digital camera. The images were of a twelve year old girl. His projected release date is December 2021.
GARY RAY DEBOLT, 47 of Valley Grove WV was convicted of five counts of Receipt of Child Pornography via the internet in December 2008 and January 2009 in Valley Grove; and two counts of Possession of Child Pornography from October 2008 to January 2009, in Valley Grove. He was sentenced to 151 months imprisonment. After service of his sentence, DEBOLT will be required to serve 10 years of supervised release and he must register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act for life. His projected release date is July 2020.
DON WINDELL COATES, age 66, of Springfield, West Virginia, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment to be followed by 10 years supervised release. COATES entered a plea of guilty on November 9, 2010, to one count of an Indictment charging him with possession of child pornography. On May 22, 2007, a search warrant was executed at COATES’ home, and the West Virginia State Police seized five computer hard drives containing over 200 images of child pornography which had been moved in interstate commerce. His projected release date is November 2019.
JOSEPH DWAYNE VALENTINE, 40, of Gauley Bridge, WV was sentenced to 70 months in prison for possessing child pornography. Valentine, who prior to his arrest worked as a correctional officer for the West Virginia Division of Corrections, pleaded guilty to the charge in May. His projected release date is November 2014.
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Waiting to be sentenced is 46 year old DALE HAMILTON of Wheeling WV, who was re-arrested in May 2011. Hamilton is notorious in the Ohio Valley for his voyeuristic activities. Over the years he has gone into changing rooms and restrooms at local stores and swimming pools to look at little girls and most recently he was found to have downloaded child pornography onto his computer. The twenty year sentence that he faces will take him off the streets and away from our children for a long time.
Agencies Involved In The National Fight Against Child Sexual Exploitation
Federal Agencies assisting in Project Safe Child include; the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Attorneys Offices, Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Office of International Affairs, Office of Justice Programs, and Office of Legal Policy. United States Postal Inspection Service, Department of Homeland Security through Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the United States Secret Service, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, Department of Education, All State, County and City Law Enforcement agencies across the country.
The non-governmental organizations include the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children, Child Help, Darkness to Light, Girls Education and Mentoring Services, Inc., Enough is Enough, i-Safe, Kristi House, Inc., Nevada Child Seekers, Paul Lisa Program, Inc., Web Wise Kids, San Diego Police Foundation, Self Reliance Foundation, Washtenaw Area Council for Children, INOBTR, TechMission Youth Program, PROTECT, and many others.
In closing…
No matter what the motivation to produce child pornographic images, offenders turn to children who are most easily available to them. It is no surprise then, that most sexual abuse of children can be attributed to those who have a relationship of trust and authority to the child in addition to ready access. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) data indicates that the vast majority of identified child pornography victims (69% of their data set) were abused/exploited by people familiar to the children.
According to the US Attorney Generals report, self-gratifying sex crimes can be more difficult to investigate than commercial enterprise, whose sole motivation is to profit from the continued dissemination of child pornography images…
“Organized groups of individuals who seek and trade such material for no monetary gain are more dangerous because they are solely motivated by a sexual interest in minors. This sexual interest fuels such groups desire not only to build their own collection of images, but also to obtain new images of recent abuse and, in some instances, to share their own acts of molestation with other group members either through discussion or, worse, through transmission of live video showing the abuse.”
According to US Attorney, Booth Goodwin, SDWV… “Crimes that involve the sexual exploitation of children are sickening and will continue to be aggressively pursued by this office. It is shocking that there are individuals who would subject children under their care to unspeakable acts, thus stealing those children's innocence and scarring them for life.”
End Of Story…
Jack Swint-Publisher
West Virginia News
E-Mail: WestVirginiaNews@gmail.com
Website: http://WVNewsOnline.com
Blog: http://WestVirginiaNews.blogspot.com
Twitter: @WVNewsOnline
LinkedIn: Jack Swint
Links
Project Safe Childhood
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The 2010 National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction
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