LAWFUEL – The Legal Newswire – R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony V. Mangione, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Ken Mascara, Sheriff, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, announced today that defendant David Taylor of Oakland Park, Florida, was sentenced on January 9, 2008 by United States District Court Judge Donald L. Graham to 240 months’ imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
On August 30, 2007, a Ft. Pierce Grand Jury returned an Indictment charging Taylor with transmitting child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(1), and possession of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(B).
On August 6, 2007, an undercover officer, portraying himself as a parent with two minor children, was in an internet chat room named “Open Minded Parents.” The officer was contacted by Taylor, using the screen name “DTaylor1013.” During the encounter, Taylor emailed the undercover officer two images of child pornography. Taylor also stated that he wanted to engage in sexual activity with the undercover officer’s 11 year old daughter. On August 9, 2007, a state search warrant was served at Taylor’s residence, and Taylor’s computer was seized. Taylor admitted to possessing over one thousand images of child pornography and one hundred videos depicting child pornography. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that, between June and August 2007, Taylor communicated online with at least three different individuals whom he believed to be underage minors. During each of these communications, Taylor asked the minor to engage in sexual activity.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rinku Talwar.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov/.
