John Doe # 13 Indicted in Child Pornography Case

WASHINGTON — Alice S. Fisher, Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division, and David Capp, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, announced today that “John Doe 13,” a white male with balding brown hair, approximately 180-200 pounds, was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 2, 2008 for transporting child pornography via the Internet on or about September 23, 2005. Upon conviction, the defendant faces between 5 to 20 years imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine.

This is the first case of its kind to be prosecuted in the Northern District of Indiana, and the thirteen such case to be investigated and prosecuted through the Endangered Child Alert Program, which was initiated by the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2004. The Program uses national and international media exposure of unknown adult perpetrators featured in child pornography in an effort to identify, locate, apprehend, and prosecute such offenders and to rescue abused children.

The case arose from an investigation of an Indiana resident who collected child pornography and utilized the Internet to trade illegal materials. That individual possessed a video clip depicting a perpetrator, John Doe #13, engaged in the sexual abuse of a pre-pubescent female. Forensic analysis of the video clip yielded clear pictures of John Doe #13’s profile and other identifying features that will better enable the public to assist with this case without encroaching on the victim’s privacy.

In many ECAP cases, the pictures of other John Doe offenders have been featured on the “America’s Most Wanted” website and television show, as well as “The O’Reilly Factor” television program. Since ECAP’s inception, viewers of the television programs and website have provided information leading to the investigation and indictment of several other offenders, and at least thirty child victims have been identified.

The prosecution is being handled by Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section Trial Attorney LisaMarie Freitas and Assistant United States Attorney Bernie VanWormer. The investigation is being handled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Innocent Images Unit in Calverton, Maryland.