Boise man receives 4-year sentence in child pornography case
BOISE, Idaho – A Boise man was sentenced in federal court Wednesday to four years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $5,000 fine for possessing child pornography, following a probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Allan Ebel, 63, pleaded guilty in August admitting to downloading images of child pornography from a Switzerland-based website on at least six occasions in August 2014. According to court records, HSI forensic examiners discovered images of child pornography saved in folders on electronic devices owned and used by Ebel.
Ebel further admitted to possessing 4,688 images and 31 videos containing child pornography on the desktop computer and external hard drive seized from his residence during a court authorized search in July 2015.
"The harm inflicted on innocent children re-victimized every time their image is shared across the globe is unimaginable," said Steve Cagen, acting special agent in charge of HSI Seattle. "We hope they can find some solace in the commitment of our HSI special agents and local law enforcement to ensure these predators are held accountable for their deeds."
As a result of his conviction, Ebel will be required to register as a sex offender.
The investigation was conducted in cooperation with the Boise Police Department and the Ada County Sheriff's Office. U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson prosecuted the case, with Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge presiding.
The charges in this case are a product of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, and HSI's Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators.
Led by the U.S. 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 14,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2015, nearly 2,400 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.
For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.
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