California man sentenced to 13 years for child pornography conspiracy

NEW ORLEANS — A California man was sentenced to more than 13 years in federal prison Wednesday for conspiring to produce child pornography in a case associated with Operation Roundtable, the largest multi-national child pornography enterprise ever uncovered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The sentencing follows an investigation by the ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office, which uncovered the 27,000-member child pornography ring administered out of Abita Springs, Louisiana.

Aung Gaw, 26, aka Michael Gaw, of Fremont, California, pleaded guilty to the child pornography charge following his arrest in November 2013 after HSI special agents executed a search warrant at his California residence. As part of his guilty plea, Gaw admitted that from December 2012 to May 2013 he conspired to produce child pornography with Jonathan Johnson, the administrator of the child pornography enterprise in Abita Springs. Johnson pleaded guilty in March to operating a child pornography enterprise and is scheduled for sentencing early next year.

So far, HSI investigators have identified more than 250 children in 39 states and five foreign countries victimized by the child pornography network dismantled during Operation Roundtable.

“Individuals who conspire to produce child pornography are directly responsible for what is, in plain language, the rape of children. Production and distribution of child pornography steals the innocence of children and destroys lives,” said HSI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Raymond R. Parmer Jr. "Operation Roundtable serves as a stark warning that HSI special agents are actively working to identity and disrupt the trade of these illegal images, and also to identify and seek prosecution of the criminals who produce and possess them.”

In addition to his federal prison term, U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance ordered Gaw to serve at least ten years of supervised release following the completion of his sentence and to register as a sex offender. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba prosecuted the case on behalf of Eastern District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite.

“Gaw and his co-conspirators victimized over 150 young people as part of their scheme to traffic child pornography,” said Polite. “Today’s sentence of 13 years underscores our commitment to bringing justice to anyone who engages in this despicable criminal conduct.”

This investigation, and Operation Roundtable itself, were part of a nationwide HSI initiative, Operation Predator, to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders and child sex traffickers. HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423 or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-843-5678.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.

HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.