HSI Washington investigation lands former Washingtonian in prison for child pornography charges

WASHINGTON — An investigation conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington field office resulted in a seven-year prison sentence for a former Washington resident for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute and receive child pornography.

Ian Fried, 57, received the lengthy prison sentence at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Jan. 13.

In May 2017, HSI Washington began investigating a group of individuals who were trading child sexual abuse material on an internet-based client-server chatting protocol. Numerous individuals located across the country were using the targeted networks to discuss, view and trade child sexual abuse material and child exploitation files.

The investigation revealed that Fried frequently used these chat networks between November 2018 through at least March 2020. During those chat conversations, Fried shared links containing files depicting the sexual abuse of young children. He also discussed with other offenders where to view and locate child pornography on the internet.

In October 2021, HSI Washington obtained a warrant authorizing the search of Fried’s residence. Numerous electronic devices, including laptops, a tablet, and hard drives were recovered. A forensic review of these devices revealed they contained hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual assault and exploitation of very young children.

HSI special agents arrested Fried in Arizona in November 2021. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and receive child pornography in July 2022. Fried remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending his transfer to federal prison.

Upon completion of his prison term, Fried will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years following his release from prison. Fried was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his criminal activity.

This investigation was conducted by HSI Washington with significant assistance from the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Washington.

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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.

Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling the HSI tip line at 866-347-2423. The tip line is manned 24 hours a day.

HSI, a directorate of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is 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 6,800 special agents assigned to 225 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 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.