California man sentenced to more than 6 years on federal child pornography charges
FRESNO, Calif. — A central California man was sentenced Monday to six and a half years in prison for receiving and distributing child pornography, following a probe conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Michael David Wilson, 32, of Delano, was sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii. According to court documents, between September 2012 and April 2013, Wilson received and distributed more than 1,400 images and video files depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The illicit files also involved the portrayal of sadistic, masochistic, and other depictions of violence, and included depictions of prepubescent minors. Wilson was charged in July 2013 and pleaded guilty in August of last year.
“The actions of child predators cause irreparable harm to children across our nation,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, special agent in charge for HSI San Francisco. “The victims of these criminals deserve outcomes like today. With the tireless efforts made by HSI and our law enforcement partners, we will continue to hunt down predators and hold them accountable for their disturbing actions.”
Assistant United States Attorney Brian W. Enos prosecuted the case.
HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196. 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-THE-LOST.
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.
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