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Press Release

St. Lucie County Man Indicted For Internet Transportation And Receipt Of Child Pornography

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Kenneth Mascara, Sheriff, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office (SLCSO), announce the indictment of defendant Joshua Adams Bagala, of Port Saint Lucie, on child pornography charges. Bagala was arraigned on June 20, 2013, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank J. Lynch, Jr., in Ft. Pierce and is detained pending trial.

The two-count indictment charges Bagala with transportation of child pornography via the internet, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(1), and receipt of child pornography via the internet, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2). If convicted, Bagala faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each count. Bagala will also be required to register as a sex offender in any jurisdiction in which he lives, works, or attends school.

On April 16, 2013, a Nebraska State Patrol sergeant was conducting an online undercover investigation in a chat room. The officer, who was posing as a 14 year old girl, was contacted by a user with the screen name of “death_by_eskimo.” The user asked the undercover whether the undercover liked underage sex films and suggested that they use an instant messaging service to communicate. Thereafter, the user of the “death_by_eskimo” screen name sent two child pornography videos to the undercover officer. Upon further investigation, the IP address for “death_by_eskimo” was traced to Bagala’s residence in Florida.

On April 26, 2013, members of the South Florida ICAC Task Force executed a state search warrant at Bagala’s residence in Port St. Lucie. A forensic examination of the Bagala’s computer revealed several thousand videos and photographs of child pornography.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office and the South Florida Internet Crimes against Children (ICAC) Task Force for their work on this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger.

An indictment is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

Updated March 12, 2015