JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 61-year-old Palm Coast man was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography over the Internet.
Timothy Edward McDermott pleaded guilty on May 14, 2015.
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According to court documents, an FBI agent began an undercover investigation to identify individuals who were trading child pornography over the Internet. The agent determined that McDermott was hosting and trading images of child pornography using a peer-to-peer file sharing program.
A search warrant was then executed at McDermott's residence and his computer was seized. During an interview, McDermott admitted that he had downloaded child pornography from a file sharing website.
Forensic analyses of McDermott's computer revealed that it contained 310 images and 68 videos depicting child pornography, including babies being sexually exploited by adults.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Dallas, Daytona Beach, and Jacksonville; the Flagler County Sheriff's Office; and the Wheaton (Illinois) Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.