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March 24, 2021Tucson, AZ, United StatesChild Exploitation

Former Green Valley fire captain sentenced to 90 months in prison for child exploitation

TUCSON, Ariz. – A local area man was sentenced March 24, to 90 months in prison for distributing child pornography as the result of a probe by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tucson office.

Nathanael Dougall, 39, of Tucson, was sentenced by United States District Judge James Soto; he previously pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography on Aug. 16, 2019.

“The despicable behavior of exploiting children has no place in our society, especially by those in a position of public trust,” said Scott Brown, special agent in charge for HSI Phoenix. “We will vigorously pursue anyone involved in the production, distribution or possession of child pornography to the fullest extent of the law.”

On Nov. 8, 2018, Dougall was arrested for sharing child sex abuse images on a messaging application with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. Dougall used the same application to engage in sexually explicit chats with the girl, who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Dougall worked as the Captain for the Green Valley Fire Department until his arrest. He admitted to accessing and viewing over 600 files depicting child pornography at his house and place of business.

Upon release from prison, Dougall will be placed on lifetime supervised release. He will be required to register as a sex offender and to complete a sex offender treatment program. Dougall was also ordered to pay restitution to several victims depicted in the child sex abuse images he possessed and distributed.

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.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

Carin C. Duryee and Nathaniel Walters, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

About HSI

HSI is a directorate and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 Special Agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

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