Dallas man sentenced to nearly 13 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography
DALLAS — A Dallas man was sentenced Wednesday to nearly 13 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography.
This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown, Eastern District of Texas. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas, Dallas Police Department, and Collin County (Texas) District Attorney’s Office.
Joshua David LeCompte, 34, pleaded guilty on Feb. 21, 2019, to distributing child pornography and was sentenced Aug. 28 to 151 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, in August 2016, a law enforcement officer received a tip that an individual had uploaded multiple files containing child pornography onto an internet-based communications software application. An investigation led to LeCompte’s address in Collin County, Texas. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at LeCompte’s residence and seized digital media items from the residence. A forensic analysis of the digital media revealed a substantial amount of child pornography files that LeComte had distributed to others. LeCompte was indicted by a federal grand jury on Dec. 12, 2018.
“This lengthy sentence should send a strong message to predators who think they are anonymously exploiting children by using the internet,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, special agent in charge of HSI Dallas. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents are highly skilled and trained to use the most advanced technology available to locate, identify and investigate these monsters who collect and distribute this kind of horrific material that traumatizes victims for the rest of their lives. We aggressively work with community members and our law enforcement partners to rescue these innocent children and prosecute their exploiters.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Miller, Eastern District of Texas.
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 19,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child exploitation material, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2018, more than 3,000 (3,191) child predators were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 850 (859) 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.
HSI is a founding member 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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