LaPorte Man Sentenced to 228 Months in Prison

SOUTH BEND – Ron Deming, 38 years old, of LaPorte, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after a jury convicted him of one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.

Deming was sentenced to 228 months in prison, 10 years of supervised release, ordered to pay $148,500 in restitution to the victims of the offense and a $25 assessment to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.

According to documents in the case, Deming possessed over 30,000 still images and over 400 videos depicting child sexual abuse material.  “Each of those many images and videos shows a child suffering horrific abuse,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor.  “And each time one of those images or videos is received or possessed, the child in it is victimized yet again.  As this case shows, this Office and its law-enforcement partners will never cease in our efforts to bring to justice those who victimize children in this manner.” 

This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Indiana State Police and the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah T Jones and Katelan McKenzie Doyle.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.