Ohio Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for His Participation in an Online Child Pornography Bulletin Board

WASHINGTON – An Ohio man was sentenced today in Riverside, Calif., to 35 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for his participation in an online child pornography bulletin board, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. of the Central District of California and Assistant Director in Charge Steve Martinez of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. 

Billy Wade Carroll of Dayton, Ohio, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips.  In October 2011, Carroll, 51, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to advertise, solicit, transport, distribute, receive and possess child pornography and one count of committing a child pornography offense while being required to register as a sex offender in Ohio.

Today’s sentencing is the result of an international investigation into the “Lost Boy” online bulletin board.  The Lost Boy bulletin board, according to court documents and proceedings, was dedicated to men who have a sexual interest in young boys and was established to provide a forum to trade child pornography.

Evidence presented at trial established that from at least September 2007 until January 2009, Carroll was an active member of the bulletin board and made more than 100 posts.  He supplied images of child pornography for other members to download and also made requests on the board seeking out particular images to help supplement his child pornography collection.

Federal authorities, working in conjunction with a coalition of international law enforcement agencies, shut down the Lost Boy bulletin board approximately three years ago.  As a result of the investigation, 16 named defendants were charged in the United States and arrested for their roles in the bulletin board.  To date, 15 defendants have pleaded guilty or have been convicted at trial, and one defendant died in custody.  Approximately six more men have been charged with child molestation as a result of the investigation.  The investigation also led to the identification of 27 domestic victims of child abuse, some of whom were portrayed in images posted to the Lost Boy bulletin board.

According to court documents and proceedings, law enforcement authorities discovered the Lost Boy bulletin board after receiving information from Eurojust, the judicial cooperation arm of the European Union.  Eurojust provided U.S. law enforcement with leads obtained from Norwegian and Italian authorities indicating that a North Hollywood, Calif., man was communicating with an Italian national about child pornography and how to engage in child sex tourism in Romania.  Acting on the information from Europe, the FBI executed search warrants that led to the discovery of the Lost Boy network.  Further investigation revealed that Lost Boy had 35 members, 16 of whom were U.S. nationals.  Other members of the network were located in countries around the world, including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. 

According to court documents, Lost Boy had a thorough vetting process for new members, who were required to post child pornography to join the organization.  Once accepted, members were required to continue posting child pornography to remain in good standing and to avoid removal from the board.  According to court documents, Lost Boy members advised one another on techniques to evade detection by law enforcement, which included using screen names to mask identities and encrypting computer data.

International law enforcement efforts involving European law enforcement, the Brazilian Federal Police and other agencies have identified child molestation suspects in South America, Europe and New Zealand.  Three suspects in Romania, one in France and another in Brazil have been charged, and offenders have been convicted in Norway and the United Kingdom.  Law enforcement have also identified dozens of child victims located in Norway, Romania, Brazil and other nations.

The investigation into the Lost Boy bulletin board was led by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, in conjunction with the Los Angeles-based Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Team.  The High Technology Investigative Unit of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, along with Eurojust, have provided invaluable assistance during the investigation. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joey L. Blanch and Yvonne Garcia of the Central District of California and CEOS Trial Attorney Andrew McCormack.

Child Predators: The Online Threat Continues to Grow

It’s a recipe for trouble: naive teenagers, predatory adults, and a medium—the Internet—that easily connects them.

In a new video blog, Executive Assistant Director Shawn Henry warns against the dangers of online predators.

“It’s an unfortunate fact of life that pedophiles are everywhere online,” said Special Agent Greg Wing, who supervises a cyber squad in our Chicago Field Office.

When a young person visits an online forum for a popular teen singer or actor, Wing said, “Parents can be reasonably certain that online predators will be there.” It is believed that more than half a million pedophiles are online every day.

Agents assigned to our Innocent Images National Initiative are working hard to catch these child predators and to alert teens and parents about the dark side of the Internet—particularly when it comes to social networking sites and, increasingly, online gaming forums.

Pedophiles go where children are. Before the Internet, that meant places such as amusement parks and zoos. Today, the virtual world makes it alarmingly simple for pedophiles—often pretending to be teens themselves—to make contact with young people.

Even without being someone’s “friend” online, which allows access to one’s social networking space, pedophiles can see a trove of teenagers’ personal information—the town they live in, the high school they attend, their favorite music and TV programs—because the youngsters often post it for anyone to see.

“The younger generation wants to express themselves, and they don't realize how vulnerable it makes them,” Wing said.

For a pedophile, that personal information is like gold and can be used to establish a connection and gain a child's trust.

There are basically two types of pedophiles on the Internet—those who seek face-to-face meetings with children, and those who are content to anonymously collect and trade child pornography images.

Those seeking face-to-face meetings create bogus identities online, sometimes posing as teenagers. Then they troll the Internet for easy victims—youngsters with low self-esteem, problems with their parents, or a shortage of money. The pedophile might find a 14-year-old girl, for example, who has posted seemingly harmless information on her space for anyone to see. The pedophile sends a message saying he goes to high school in a nearby town and likes the same music or TV shows she likes.

Then the pedophile cultivates a friendly online relationship that investigators call “grooming.” It could continue for days or weeks before the pedophile begins bringing up sexual topics, asking for explicit pictures or for a personal meeting. By that time an emotional connection has been made—and pedophiles can be master manipulators. Even if an actual meeting never takes place, it is important to note that youngsters can be victimized by such sexually explicit online contact.

Even worse than posting personal information for anyone to see is the fact that many youngsters will accept “friends” who are total strangers. “Nobody wants to just have five friends online,” Wing said. “It's a popularity thing.”

Special Agent Wesley Tagtmeyer, a veteran cyber investigator in our Chicago office who works undercover during online investigations, said that in his experience, about 70 percent of youngsters will accept “friend” requests regardless of whether they know the requester.

Tagtmeyer and other cyber investigators say a relatively new trend among pedophiles is to begin grooming youngsters through online gaming forums, some of which allow two-way voice and video communication. Parents who might be vigilant about monitoring their children’s Internet activity often have no idea that online video gaming platforms can pose a threat.

“Parents need to talk to their children about these issues,” he said. “It’s no longer enough to keep computers in an open area of the house so they can be monitored. The same thing needs to be done with online gaming platforms.”

Advice for Parents

Parents should talk to their children about the danger of being sexually exploited online, and they should monitor their children’s Internet use along with online video gaming, an area where pedophiles are increasingly operating.

Parents should also understand that teens are not always honest about what they are doing online. Some will let their parents “friend” them on social networking sites, for example, and will then establish another space online that is hidden from their parents.

Youngsters often employ a secret Internet language to use when their parents are nearby. Examples include:

- PAW or PRW: Parents are watching

- PIR: Parents in room

- POS: Parent over shoulder

- P911: Parent emergency

- (L)MIRL: (Let’s) meet in real life

Parents can get more information from our Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety.

Innocent Images Investigators

Agents on our Innocent Images squads around the country take part in overt and covert operations to stop online child predators and to identify victims.

During investigations, agents sometimes pose online as teens to infiltrate pedophile networks and to gather evidence by downloading files that are indicative of child pornography. During the investigation of known suspects, undercover agents may also “friend” people the suspect is associated with.

“Pedophiles regularly create bogus online profiles,” said Special Agent Greg Wing, who supervises a cyber squad in our Chicago Field Office. “Usually, anyone associated with that profile is either a fellow offender or a victim.”

151-Month Prison Sentence and Lifetime Supervised Release for East Alton Man for Child Pornography is the Result of FBI Undercover Investigation of Computer File-Sharing Program

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on January 6, 2011, THOMAS E. LOWERY, age 63, of East Alton, Illinois, was sentenced in the United States District Court in East St. Louis for possession of child pornography (count 1), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(B); receipt of child pornography (count 2), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2); and possession of obscene materials (count 3), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1462. LOWERY pled guilty to the three offenses on June 23, 2010. LOWERY received 120 months’ imprisonment on count 1, 151 months’ imprisonment on count 2, and 120 months’ imprisonment on count 3, to run concurrently, for a total sentence of 151 months’ imprisonment; supervised release for life on counts 1 and 2 and for three years on count 3, to run concurrently, for a total lifetime term of supervised release; fined $100 on each count for a total fine of $300; and ordered to pay a $300 special assessment.

The violations took place from on or about August 28, 2008, until on or about April 22, 2009, in Madison County, Illinois. The investigation of LOWERY began after three separate FBI undercover investigations from August 19, 2008, through November 24, 2008, involving Limewire, revealed that the defendant’s IP address was associated with offering files to share that contained images of child pornography. Based on this information, the FBI obtained a federal search warrant for LOWERY’s residence. A forensic review of the hard drive of the computer seized from the defendant’s bedroom revealed that it contained approximately 4,200 images and 150 video files containing images of child pornography. Many of the images contained prepubescent children who had not yet reached the age of 12. The hard drive also contained approximately 230 images of bestiality involving both adults and children. The video files contained bondage videos as well as videos of adults and/or minors engaged in sexual acts with animals. Finally, the review of the computer also noted that there were approximately 1,351 files containing child pornography in the defendant’s shared folder which was used with file sharing that he would also place these files in his “my pictures” and/or “my videos” folders.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.

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.

Web of Victims: A Chilling Case of ‘Sextortion’

The hacker knew every move the unsuspecting victim made. He controlled her computer webcam and microphone. He could see her in her bedroom, hear her conversations, knew every keystroke she made online. And he threatened to expose her secrets unless she bowed to his demands.

It may sound like the plot for a scary teen movie, but it actually happened, and there wasn’t just one victim—there were more than 200, and dozens of them were adolescent girls.

Don't Let It Happen to You

Here are a few precautions that can keep you from being victimized by a social engineering attack:

- Don’t take for granted that your computer’s anti-virus software is a guarantee against intrusions.

- Turn off your computer when you aren’t using it. (The majority of computers involved in the sextortion case were laptops; many of the victims chatted on social networks so much that they never turned off their machines.)

- Cover your webcam when not in use.

- Don’t open attachments without independently verifying that they were sent from someone you know.

- It’s okay to be suspicious. If you receive a message with an attachment from your mother at 3 a.m., maybe the message is not really from your mother. “Most people are too trusting when it comes to their computers,” Agent Kirkpatrick said.

- If your computer has been compromised and you are receiving extortion threats, don’t be afraid to talk to your parents or to call law enforcement. 

Unlike many computer intrusions, where a hacker uses malicious software to steal identities or financial information, this case was primarily about spying and extortion—or as our Los Angeles cyber squad more aptly termed it, “sextortion.”

The hacker, a 31-year-old California man who was arrested in June after a two-year investigation, used malicious code to infect and control the computers of his victims. Then he searched for explicit pictures from their computers, downloaded them, and used the images in an attempt to extort more pictures and videos from them.

“What’s so frightening about this case was how easily the victims’ computers were compromised,” said Special Agent Jeff Kirkpatrick, one of our Los Angeles cyber investigators who worked the case.

After the hacker infected one computer, he used a popular social networking site—and a technique called “spear phishing”—to spread the virus. “It was a social engineering attack,” said Special Agent Tanith Rogers, co-investigator on the case. “The victims were tricked. They had no idea what had happened until it was too late.”

In several instances, the hacker posed online as a young woman’s friend or sister and sent messages with attachments asking if the victim wanted to see a scary video. Because the messages appeared to be from a trusted source, the victims usually didn’t think twice about opening the attachment. When they did, the virus secretly installed itself, and the hacker had total control over their computers—including all files and folders, webcams, and microphones.

Using similar spear phishing methods—posing as a friend or a trusted source—the hacker spread the virus through the social network like wildfire. In all, there were 230 victims and more than 100 computers impacted.

“And this guy was no computer genius,” Agent Kirkpatrick said. “Anybody could do what he did just by watching an online video and following the directions.”

Have Information on the Case?

The hacker in the sextortion case used a variety of screen names and e-mail addresses, which are listed below. If you have information regarding the case—there may be other victims—please contact your nearest FBI office or submit a tip online.

Screen names:

gui_blt

Woods05

CoFfEkId014

ELEvatrHZrD03

Pimpcess03666

Your3name3here03

Bri23nice

Dmagecntr137

H2IOW14

ELEvATrhRZd03

Playgrl37

Your3name3here3

goldlion14

Hotchit13w

E-mail address:

yousoylammer@hotmail.com

christ@yahoo.com

gui_blt@live.com

mistahxxxrightme@aim.com

zapotin@hotmail.com

guich_x@aim.com

guicho_1.1@roadrunner.com

mijangos3@msn.com

Victims—particularly teenage girls—were understandably devastated when they learned their privacy had been so completely violated. Many were afraid to tell their parents about the situation.

“He was smart,” Agent Rogers said of the hacker. “He used their fear to try to control them.”

For example, the hacker attached a pornographic picture of one victim in an e-mail and demanded sexually explicit video of her in return for not telling her parents about the pictures he had downloaded from her computer.

“If he hadn’t attempted to contact the victims,” Agent Rogers said, “he could have done this forever and gone undetected—the victims would never have known he was listening and watching. That,” she added, “is one of the most disturbing things about this case.”

Cyber Predator Task Force

Selkirk Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charge


April 20, 2010 - ALBANY—United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and John F. Pikus, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Albany Division, today announced that, KEVIN FRONE, age 57, of Selkirk, New York, pled guilty in United States District Court in Albany before the Honorable Thomas J. McAvoy to count one of an information charging him with the receipt of child pornography.

In connection with his plea, FRONE admitted the following during his plea proceedings:

Between about December, 2004 and February, 2009, FRONE, while in his residence, used various computers to access the Internet. While on the internet FRONE downloaded and installed a file sharing program called "Google Hello" onto said computers. Google Hello is known as a peer-to-peer file-sharing program and it allows Internet users to trade and receive digital files from other users of computers with the same file sharing program.

While using the Google Hello program, FRONE obtained several electronic files containing still images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Additionally, FRONE obtained electronic files containing still image and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct by visiting various child pornography websites. FRONE typically downloaded such still images and videos and saved said images to an Iomega external hard drive.

On February 9, 2009, investigators executed a federal search warrant at FRONE's residence in Selkirk, New York. Investigators seized computers and a Iomega external hard drive. The seized items were searched and forensic examinations of the aforementioned computers and external hard drive, all of which belonged to FRONE, were conducted. Approximately 500 still images and 100 movie files which depict minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, as those terms and phrases are defined in Title 18, United States Code, Section 2256(2), were recovered from the Iomega external hard drive. Said images depict individuals under the age of 18 engaged in, among other things, vaginal sex, oral sex, anal sex, sado-masochistic conduct, masturbation, and the lascivious exhibition of the genitals and pubic area. All of the images recovered depict actual, as opposed to computer generated, images of minors engaged in such conduct. A number of these images depict prepubescent minors engaged in such conduct.

FRONE knowingly and willfully received and possessed the child pornography images. He also received, downloaded, and possessed these images knowing that they depict minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. All of these images had either been transported in interstate or foreign commerce or were produced using materials that had been mailed, shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. FRONE obtained such images from, among other places, individuals and websites located outside the State of New York.

On or about February 9, 2009 FRONE was interviewed by law enforcement officials. During this interview, he stated, among other things, that:

i. He used the aforesaid computers to search for and access child pornography via websites on the Internet and Google Hello;

ii. He saved some of the child pornography still images and movie files that he received via the Internet into an electronic folder entitled "pictures" on his Iomega external hard drive; and

iii. That he had been accessing and downloading child pornography on the Internet for approximately one year.

Sentencing was scheduled by Judge McAvoy for August 11, 2010, at 10:30 a.m. in U.S. District Court in Albany, New York. FRONE faces a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of five years, and a fine of up to $250,000.00. FRONE was released pending his sentencing.

This case was investigated by the FBI's Capital Region Cyber Predator Task Force.