Pennsylvania man sentenced to 6 years in prison for possession of hundreds of images of child sexual exploitation

PHILADELPHIA - David Ivins, 34, of Feasterville, Pa., was sentenced January 24 to 72 months in prison for possession of child pornography. Ivins was charged May 7, 2009, with possession of more than 600 images of child pornography. The case went to trial on June 28, 2010, and Ivins was convicted by a jury. The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky ordered Ivins to pay a $1,500 fine and to complete 10 years of supervised release.

In 2006, HSI agents investigating a child sexual exploitation involving an Internet chat room called "Kiddypics & Kiddyvids," a file sharing program being used to traffick in images. On Feb. 13, 2006, the screen name "bestvideosandpicstradnow" posted hundreds of child pornography files for those in the chat room to view and download. An undercover agent downloaded three files from this collection, all of which depicted nude pre-pubescent girls with their genitals exposed being sexually assaulted by an adult male. Internet provider server records for the screen name "bestvideosandpicstradnow" identified the user as Ivins of Feasterville, Pa.

Agents obtained a search warrant for the defendant's residence, and on July 27, 2006, executed the warrant at his mobile home. Along with other evidence, police confiscated the defendant's computer from the living room, along with hundreds of CDs and DVDs on the defendant's computer desk, in a CD case belonging to him, and underneath the coffee table in the living room. A subsequent forensic analysis revealed almost 1,500 images and more than 10 videos depicting child pornography, the majority involving pre-pubescent and pubescent girls being sexually abused by adult males. In addition, many of the videos showed girls blindfolded, bound and gagged as they were being sexually assaulted. In some videos, the girls were crying.

Most of the children in the images have been identified, their sexual abuse is well documented through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Rotella.