Press Release
Contact:
DANIEL Y. MEKARU
ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY
PHONE: (616) 456-2406
KALAMAZOO MAN SENTENCED TO OVER 15 YEARS
FOR PRODUCTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2009 -
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. - Bradley J. Hebert, 38, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, received
188 months in prison for producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Donald A. Davis
announced today. Upon his release from prison, Hebert will spend the rest of his life under
supervised release.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) identified Hebert as a subscriber to child pornography websites. ICE executed a search warrant on his home and recovered a collection of more than 700 images of child pornography and discovered that he had created his own images of child pornography by hiding a video camera in his bathroom and videotaping a minor female friend while she was showering and changing clothes. Subsequent investigation disclosed that Hebert had a history of sexually assaulting minor girls, including sexual assaults of two girls when they were 14 and 15 years old. Hebert entered a plea of guilty to the charge on December 12, 2008.
U.S. District Judge Robert Holmes Bell presided over the sentencing. Judge Bell expressed his concern for the victims of child pornography and for the individuals who were sexually abused by Hebert. In imposing the 15-year and 8-month-sentence, Judge Bell announced his desire to send a message of deterrence to others who might consider sexually exploiting children. To protect the public and other children from Hebert, Judge Bell ordered Hebert to spend the rest of his life on supervised release.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect
children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutors’
offices, an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, federal, state, and local law
enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who
exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities
about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site:
www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The investigation of this matter was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and United States Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. Prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Mekaru.
END
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