Clinton Township Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Manufacturing Child Pornography

June 3, 2010 - A 52-year-old Clinton Township man was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment today for manufacturing child pornography, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced. Joining in the announcement was FBI Special Agent in Charge Andrew G. Arena.

David Bryan Blackman pleaded guilty before Judge David M. Lawson on February 11, 2010. In addition to 15 years’ imprisonment, Blackman will serve five years of supervised release following his term.

In February 2009, the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department received a “cybertip” from America Online that an individual utilizing the screen name “mjfrog” was transmitting child pornography. Authorities identified “mjfrog” as defendant David Bryan Blackman and searched his home, seizing a computer and a voice modulator. On the computer, authorities found chat transcripts between Blackman and co-defendant John Nelson Preston, 34, of Yale, Michigan. In the transcripts, Blackman posed as a mother with two pre pubescent daughters. Blackman agreed to allow Preston to engage in sex acts with his daughters if Preston would transmit nude images of himself and a 3-year-old in his care to Blackman via webcam. Preston did so. Although no images of the nude 3-year-old were recovered, federal charges were brought based on the substance of the chat transcripts as well as other child pornography found on both defendants’ computers.

Co-defendant Preston pleaded guilty on March 8, 2010. His sentencing is scheduled before Judge Lawson on June 16.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Leonid Feller.