‘JOHN DOE’ INDICTED FOR CHILD PORN
UNDER NEW FEDERAL INITIATIVE

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Assistant Attorney General Christopher A. Wray of the Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, and Todd P. Graves, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a man whose identity is not yet known was indicted by a federal grand jury today for transporting child pornography over the Internet.

The indictment arises from the FBI’s Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP), a new nationwide initiative to identify and prosecute adults involved in child pornography. In the first three ECAP cases, images of unidentified defendants were posted on the FBI’s Web site and featured on “America’s Most Wanted.” All three of the men were recognized by viewers of the television program and are being prosecuted. More importantly, 22 victim children have been identified and saved from further abuse as a result of this initiative. All of the victims had been sexually abused over a period of years, some since infancy.

“Child predators rely on the anonymity of the Internet to hide from the law, but with this new initiative, cyberspace won’t be a refuge,” Wray said. “The goal is to rescue endangered children by alerting the public, and with the public’s help, to bring the adult abusers to justice.”

“This is only the fourth ‘John Doe’ indicted under ECAP, and the first case of this kind ever filed in this district,” Graves said.

When federal agents discover photos of adults who are abusing children in the course of a child pornography investigation, they will seek grand jury indictments, even if the adults can’t yet be identified by name. Photos of the defendants will be attached to the indictments and posted on the FBI’s web site, at www.fbi.gov. <http://www.fbi.gov>

The indictment alleges that on Jan. 21, 2004, the defendant - identified as John Doe, a white male, approximately 180-190 pounds, with brown hair - transported (and aided and abetted in transporting) over the Internet three images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Photos of the defendant are attached to the indictment for identification purposes.

The federal indictment returned by the grand jury in Missouri alleges that at least one of those images involves a prepubescent minor under the age of 12, and that at least one image portrays sadistic and masochistic and violent conduct. The federal indictment also alleges that the offense and related conduct involved at least 10, but fewer than 150, visual depictions.

“We have photos of the defendant, and we are asking for the public’s assistance to identify this man,” Wray said.

This case is being prosecuted by Department of Justice Trial Attorney Sara L. Gottovi of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine Fincham of the Western District of Missouri. It was investigated by the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The charge contained in the indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.

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