News Releases

Michigan man pleads guilty to production of child pornography

DETROIT - A 50-year-old Dearborn Heights, Mich., man, who filmed a seven-year-old as the subject of child pornography production, pleaded guilty in federal court today, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced.  Joining in the announcement was Brian Moskowitz, special agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Detroit.

John Belloli pleaded guilty to production and possession of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III.

The information presented to the court at the time of the plea established that in June 2009, the defendant, along with a co-defendant, sedated the minor child with prescription sleep medication and photographed one another engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the minor.  Both defendants then downloaded the photographs to their computers.  A warrant executed at Belloli's home revealed in excess of 600 images of child pornography, some of which depicted prepubescent children engaged in acts of sadomasochism and violence he had downloaded and collected from the Internet.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 25, 2011. Under the terms of his plea agreement with the government, Belloli faces a maximum of 35 years in prison. The defendant has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service since his arrest on July 15, 2010.

U.S. Attorney McQuade noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. She praised the work of the agents of ICE HSI, as well as the efforts of the Macomb County Sheriff's Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Roth and Kevin Mulcahy.

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