Lawrence man sentenced for child pornography exploitation
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) - Ten men from around the country are being sentenced for participating in a child pornography enterprise and conspiracy, said the United States Department of Justice in a press release.
Carl Masters, often using the username "Harmon," was sentenced on Sept. 24, 2019 to 27 years in prison followed by lifetime of released supervision. The Lawrence resident pleaded guilty to charges on April 18, 2019.
“Jarret Lea and his co-conspirators caused irreparable harm to over 170 identified child victims,” said U.S. Attorney William McSwain for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “These men shrouded their true identities in the anonymity of the internet and presented themselves as their victims’ peers in order to gain these children’s trust and exploit them sexually. The lengthy sentences handed out for this despicable behavior will not restore the innocence lost, but they do send a strong message that my office will find and prosecute child predators, no matter where they lurk.”
Unites States Attorney William McSwain
According to court documents, the defendants and other co-conspirators outside of the United States used chatrooms in the social platform "Discord", an app designed for online gaming communities, to exchange and produce child pornography. The defendants would pretend to be minors, boys and girls, and exchanged pre-recoded videos of other minors engaging in similar conduct to persuade children to send videos back.
Other offenders include:
- Andrew Dowdle, aka “Chigger,” 48, of Oswego, New York, was sentenced on Sept. 23, 2019, to 16 years in prison, followed by 15 years supervised release. He pleaded guilty on April 8, 2019.
- Ric Crossfield, aka “Officer Branner,” 25, of Jamaica, New York, was sentenced on Sept. 25, 2019, to 14 years in prison, followed by 40 years supervised release. He pleaded guilty on April 18, 2019.
- Christian Brennan, aka “Choad,” 46, of Puyallup, Washington, was sentenced on Nov. 7, 2019, to 20 years in prison, followed by 10 years supervised release. He pleaded guilty on April 23, 2019.
- Sharif El-Battouty, aka “Fritos,” 39, of Woodside, New York, was sentenced on March 16, 2020, to 30 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. He was found guilty at trial on May 2, 2019.
- Jarrett Lea, aka “Toot,” 27, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced on Oct. 1 2020, to 17 years in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on April 15, 2019.
- David Minnichelli, aka “Davis,” 30 of Califon, New Jersey, was sentenced on July 28, 2020, to 15 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 22, 2019.
- Marqueal Bonds, aka “The Goat,” 22, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced on Aug. 18, 2020, to 22 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. He pleaded guilty on March 5, 2020.
- Timothy Friel, aka “JJChuck,” 40 of Penndel, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 19, 2020, to 12 years in prison, followed by 15 years supervised release. He pleaded guilty on Aug. 24, 2018.
- Cory Crosby, aka “The 191,” 39, of Tacoma, Washington, was sentenced on April 1, 2019, to 25 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. He pleaded guilty on July 18, 2018.
“The defendants collaborated in a sophisticated conspiracy to deceive, manipulate, and extort hundreds of unsuspecting and vulnerable children, tricking them into creating sexually explicit content by posing as their peers on live-streaming video chat applications,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These significant sentences reflect the Department’s commitment to uncovering such nefarious schemes and protecting our most innocent from exploitation by online predators.”
Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing issue of child sexual exploitation and abuse.