News Releases

Ohio man indicted for producing child pornography

CINCINNATI - A 55-year-old Springdale, Ohio, man, who filmed and took explicit photographs of a minor, was indicted in federal court today following an arrest March 15 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and the Springdale Police.

Timothy J. McNamee was indicted on charges that he produced images of child pornography and uploaded them to the Internet where they were viewed internationally. The indictment charges McNamee with a total of four counts and also seeks forfeiture of computers, cameras, video equipment, computer storage media and other items seized from his house when agents executed a search warrant there.

"The charges brought in this case serve as a sobering reminder that our kids are vulnerable and that sadly they often need protection from those who should be looking out for them" said Brian M. Moskowitz, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations for Ohio and Michigan. "ICE and its partners, like the Springdale Police Department and our prosecutors in this case, stand shoulder to shoulder to address the threat."

McNamee is charged with production of child pornography, which is punishable by at least 15 and up to 30 years imprisonment. He is also charged with one count of distribution and one count of receipt of child pornography. Each count is punishable by at least five and up to 20 years imprisonment. The indictment further charges McNamee with one count of possession of child pornography, punishable by up to five years imprisonment.

ICE agents patrolling the Internet earlier this year found sexually explicit images of a girl under 13. Further investigation indicated that the images were produced between 2006 and 2009. Investigators tracked the images back to computers they found at McNamee's residence.

Agents and Springdale Police officers arrested McNamee on March 15. He has been in custody since his arrest.

"After conferring with the agents and officers involved, we determined that federal charges were most appropriate in this case," Stewart said. "The investigators gathered evidence indicating that the images had been viewed not only across the U.S., but internationally as well."

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

Stewart commended the cooperative investigation by ICE agents and Springdale officers, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie Williams and Christy Muncy, who are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant should be presumed innocent unless convicted in court.

This investigation is 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.