Chicago-area youth basketball coach indicted for producing child pornography

CHICAGO — A youth basketball coach from Chicago was indicted Thursday on federal child pornography charges for allegedly paying minor boys to be photographed and videotaped while engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

This indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon, Northern District of Illinois, and James M. Gibbons, acting special agent-in-charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Chicago.

According to the indictment, Bradley J. Ames, 35, and a co-conspirator paid between $100 to $650 to the minor boys in return for being photographed and videotaped while engaged in various sexual acts, according to the indictment. Ames and the co-conspirator then transmitted the photos and videos via the internet.

The pair met most of the minors online after the co-conspirator set up a Facebook profile for a fictitious female named “Hannah” and used it to encourage young males to share photos and information about themselves, according to the indictment. Ames then selected certain minors who had communicated with “Hannah” so that the co-conspirator could produce sexually explicit photos and videos of them.

The six-count indictment was returned June 9 in federal court in Chicago. It charges Ames with one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography, four counts of producing child pornography, and one count of knowingly receiving child pornography.

Ames will be arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert June 15.

In addition to contacting children online, the indictment alleges that Ames identified at least one minor victim through a boy he met while coaching youth basketball. Ames provided the minor’s Facebook page to the co-conspirator to facilitate contacting the child, the indictment states. The indictment further alleges that Ames sometimes paid the co-conspirator to engage in sexually explicit conduct with the minors.

The conspiracy and production counts are punishable by a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years; knowingly receiving child pornography carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Yusef Dale, Northern District of Illinois, is prosecuting this case.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. 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.

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.