HSI Philadelphia revives cold case, child pornographer gets 15 years in prison
PHILADELPHIA — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revived a nearly decades' old cold investigation that led to a 68-year-old Pennsylvania man receiving 15 years in prison for taking pornographic pictures of young girls.
The investigation began when one of the victims reported the abuse nine years after it happened, and HSI was able to get a search warrant for the defendant's home. Investigators found the images of the victim and others, three of whom testified at his sentencing Dec. 3 about the impact of Rafferty's abuse on their lives.
"This is an example of HSI's determination to track down and help put away those who abuse the most vulnerable members of our society," said John Kelleghan, special agent in charge of HSI Philadelphia. "No matter how long it takes, HSI will not falter in bringing these criminals to justice."
Rafferty pleaded guilty July 15, 2014, and in addition to the prison term, the federal judge ordered three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
The case was investigated by HSI with assistance from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
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 12,000 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 2014, 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.
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