Merchant Mariner Pleads Guilty To Transportation Of Child Pornography

NORFOLK, Va. – David Tallman, 53, a merchant mariner on the USNS Laramie stationed in Norfolk, Va., has pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography.  

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and John P. Torres, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington, D.C., made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States Magistrate Judge Douglas Miller. 

            Tallman was indicted on February 21, 2013, by a federal grand jury on charges of transportation, receipt and possession of child pornography.  Tallman faces a minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on July 24, 2013.

            According to a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Tallman was identified as making payments to persons in the Philippines for live streaming videos and images of child pornography.  Tallman would chat with the women online, and they would live-stream pornographic images of themselves and of the sexual abuse of minors on the Internet or send him images by e-mail.  Tallman had a large collection of child pornography with him at the time of port entry into Norfolk and most of the children appeared to be of Pacific Asian descent.

            This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.  Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.