Derby Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Images and Videos Depicting the Sexual Abuse of Children

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL VADAKIN, 29, of Derby, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for possessing child pornography.  Vadakin must serve the first four months of his supervised release in home confinement.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Vadakin was arrested on December 13, 2018, after an investigation revealed that he had used the Kik smartphone application to possess and share images and videos of children being sexually abused.  Forensic analysis of a tablet seized during a search of Vadakin’s residence revealed additional images of child pornography.

The investigation also revealed that, in an attempt to hide his criminal behavior, Vadakin regularly downloaded the Kik app and deleted the app after each use.  He also used fake user names and switched user names in an effort to remain anonymous on Kik and the internet.

On September 6, 2019, Vadakin pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.

Vadakin, who was released on bond, was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at the conclusion of today’s court proceeding.

This investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Derby Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King. 

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.