Marysville Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Distribution of Pictures of Child Rape

            A 43-year-old Marysville, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to nine years in prison for distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  TODD ALAN RAMEY was arrested in November 2013 following the serving of a search warrant at his Marysville home.  RAMEY was identified in an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) of a foreign based website used to exchange images of child rape and sexual abuse.  The forensic review of RAMEY’s computer revealed more than 14,000 images and 1,700 videos of children being raped and sexually molested.  RAMEY was ordered to pay $12,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in the photos.  U.S. District Judge James L. Robart imposed 15 years of supervised release following the prison sentence.

            According to records filed in the case, RAMEY came to the attention of law enforcement because of his use of a website involved in the exchange of child pornography.  In addition to the child pornography, RAMEY distributed images of children with descriptions of how he planned to rape or molest them.  RAMEY had been investigated previously in connection with sexual contact with a 14-year-old.  RAMEY pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography in February 2014.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  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 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.justice.gov/psc

            The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Vaughan.