Janitor Indicted for Filming Students in School Bathroom and Receiving Child Pornography
Ensley Allegedly Secretly Videoed Students for Years
ATLANTA – Josh Ensley, 51, of Tucker, Georgia, was arraigned in federal court today before United States Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard on charges that he received child pornography and created pornographic images and videos of minors. Ensley was indicted on November 19, 2012, for production and receipt of child pornography. Ensley is currently in federal custody.
“The defendant is charged with using his unique position within a school to violate the fundamental trust of its students for his own disturbing pleasure,” said Acting United States Attorney F. Gentry Shelnutt. “We will continue to identify and prosecute those who use their positions of trust to victimize children.”
“The United States Postal Inspection Service places the highest priority on investigating cases involving the sexual exploitation of children. Our investigations seek justice for the children that are victimized by persons engaged in producing or trading images of child pornography via the United States mail. With our strategic partnerships with other law enforcement agencies and the United States Attorney's Office, we will continue to aggressively investigate and seek appropriate charges against anyone committing crimes of this nature against our children,” said Keith Morris, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division.
According to Acting United States Attorney Shelnutt the charges, and other information presented in court or contained in public documents: Between September 2008 and March 2011, Ensley ordered over 50 DVDs containing images of child pornography and child erotica from a website based outside the United States. Ultimately, law enforcement traced those orders to Ensley’s home in Tucker, Georgia. During the execution of a search warrant in October 2012, agents located the DVDs that Ensley had ordered. In addition, agents discovered that Ensley, who worked as a janitor at a DeKalb County school, had used his access to the school to surreptitiously install cameras in the girls’ and boys’ bathrooms to capture students using the facilities over a period of several years. Ensley maintained copies of these videos in his home in Tucker, Georgia.
The charge of producing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum confinement period of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years in prison. The charge of receiving child pornography carries a mandatory minimum confinement period of 5 years and maximum term of 20 years in prison. Both charges carry a fine of up to $250,000 and a period of supervised release from 5 years to life. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding, but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
This case is being 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, 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.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the DeKalb County Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Paul Jones and Jill E. Steinberg are prosecuting the case.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Information Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.
