HSI arrests Nassau County man for producing child pornography

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Fernandina Beach man was arrested for producing and attempting to produce child pornography after an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office provided assistance.

If convicted of the charges, John Dewey Todd, 60, faces between 15 and 30 years in federal prison.

According to the complaint, HSI and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Todd’s residence Nov. 15. During the execution of the warrant, Todd voluntarily spoke with law enforcement and admitted he collected child pornography for the past "couple years." He said he saved his child pornography on two computers, CDs, thumb drives and external hard drives. Law enforcement seized electronic media during their search and a preliminary examination of some of the seized materials revealed they contained at least 12,000 files of child pornography.

During a forensic examination of one thumb drive seized during the search, law enforcement recovered three videos of suspected child pornography. Two of the videos depict Todd adjusting a video camera that appears to be concealed in a plant or planter, focused on a bathtub. Two minor, prepubescent females are recorded with their genitalia displayed.

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 10,000 individuals for crimes against children, including producing and distributing online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking children. In fiscal year 2013, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.

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. 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.