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Press Release

Whitestown Man Sentenced To Over 56 Years For Producing Child Pornography

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Indiana

Hogsett announces another "Operation Community Watch" prosecution

INDIANAPOLIS - U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Hogsett announced today the sentencing of Daniel Alan Jines, 37, of Whitestown, on federal child pornography charges, including 10 counts of producing child pornography, one count of receiving child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography. Jines was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William Lawrence to a total term of imprisonment of 680 months. (56.5 years)

“This is in essence a life term for Mr. Jines,” said Hogsett. “If anyone is this district abuses children the way he did, my office will find you and prosecute you as aggressively as the law allows.”

According to court documents, the investigation into Jines’ child pornography activity began with law enforcement detecting previously identified child pornography files being offered for download through an internet connection traced back to Jines’ home. A search of Jines’ home on February 20, 2013, uncovered a large, particularly disturbing collection of images of the sexual abuse of children, and Jines was arrested that evening for his receipt and possession of those images.

A continuing investigation uncovered that Jines had sexually abused a minor female for several years, beginning when she was as young as 8 years old. Jines videotaped a portion of that abuse, occurring when the child was 10-13 years old, between May 2008 and May 2010. The content of those videos shocked even veteran child abuse investigators.

“Approximately a year ago, this office launched Operation Community Watch, an effort to protect Hoosier children by identifying and bringing to justice those who would sexually exploit our children,” said Hogsett. “This case is a prime example of how child pornography investigations, which can often transcend state and international borders, ultimately can lead to the protection of children who may live in neighborhoods right here in Indiana. Mr. Jines’ horrific campaign of abuse fully justifies this long sentence, and is well deserved.”

This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the Carmel Police Department and the Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force.

“While we are pleased with the significant sentence imposed, no amount of time behind bars seems adequate punishment for such monstrous behavior,” said Gary Hartwig, Special Agent-in-Charge of HSI Chicago. “Daniel Jines inflicted permanent psychological, physical, and emotional scars on his young victim and deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison where he can never hurt another child. Protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation is one of HSI’s most vital missions.”

“This is another example of why the child exploitation task force model is so important. This individual will no longer have the ability to victimize a child because highly skilled investigators from the local and federal level are able to work together with the United States Attorney’s Office to focus on these important cases. The sentence itself should serve as a warning to those out there who would prey upon our children that we are looking for you, and we will find you. Our greatest hope is that the attention this case gets will serve as a beacon to victims who continue to suffer in silence, so that they know there are people and organizations here to help them,” said Captain Andy Dietz, Director Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Brant Cook and MaryAnn Mindrum, who prosecuted the case for the government, Jines’ sentence also includes lifetime supervised release and a $5000.00 fine.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a larger nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led nationally 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 better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Updated January 26, 2015