Deland Man Sentenced To More Than Seven Years For Possession Of Child Pornography

Orlando, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Colby William Ochsenhirt (35, DeLand) to seven years and five months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.  He pleaded guilty on May 29, 2013.

According to court documents, the investigation began when an Internet website reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a specific Internet Protocol (IP) address was engaged in a "video chat" depicting child pornography.  Law enforcement officials determined the location of the IP address and interviewed Ochsenhirt.  During the interview, Ochsenhirt admitted that he viewed the child pornography video and that he did not know whether the video was live streaming or not, meaning that he did not know if the child was being victimized at the time that he viewed it.  Ochsenhirt admitted that he sought videos of children being victimized in live time and had been doing so for five to six months.  Search warrants were executed upon computers and hard drives located at Ochsenhirt’s home and place of employment.  Forensic analysis revealed that Ochsenhirt possessed more than 1,700 images and 240 videos containing child pornography.

“Possessing child pornography is not a victimless crime. It haunts the children depicted in it, who live daily with the knowledge that countless strangers use an image of their worst experiences for their own gratification,” said Susan McCormick, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Tampa. “Our local law enforcement partners play an essential role in helping us arrest and prosecute these child predators.”

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher LaForgia.

This is another case 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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.usdoj.gov/psc.