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Press Release

Nassau County Man Sentenced To More Than 19 Years In Prison For Producing And Receiving Child Pornography

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced John Dewey Todd (61, Fernandina Beach) to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for producing and receiving child pornography over the Internet. The Court also ordered him to serve a 10-year term of supervision upon his release from prison and to register as a sex offender.  Todd pleaded guilty to the offenses on September 25, 2014.

According to court documents, law enforcement agents executed a federal search warrant at Todd’s residence in Fernandina Beach on November 15, 2013, during which they recovered several electronic devices. In an interview with agents, Todd admitted to having “child pornography” on his computers. He further admitted to collecting child pornography for a “couple of years.” At sentencing, evidence was presented showing that Todd had been collecting child pornography for 15 years.

Fifty-one media discs were found hidden in Todd’s attic containing at least 12,000 files of child pornography, including 550 videos and 11,500 still images. An additional 4,000 files of child pornography were found on other media. Todd’s collection included videos depicting thousands of instances of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, depictions of bondage, sadistic and masochistic conduct, and other portrayals of violence. Police also found five thumb drives in a jacket pocket hanging in Todd’s closet.  Upon examination of the thumb drives, agents discovered four self-produced videos made by Todd, in which he secretly recorded the genitalia of prepubescent girls using the bathroom in his home.

"This sentencing underscores the severity of crimes against our children," said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. "HSI will continue to direct our vast resources toward protecting the most vulnerable in our society."

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov and click on the tab "other resources."

Updated February 25, 2015

Topic
Project Safe Childhood