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November 9, 2015Wichita, KS, United StatesChild Exploitation

Kansas sex offender sentenced to 20 years for distributing child pornography

WICHITA, Kan. — A registered sex offender living in southwestern Kansas was sentenced Monday to 20 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography.

This sentence resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Wichita (Kansas) Police Department.

Mark A. Wireman, 44, from Lakin, Kansas, had previously pleaded guilty in July to five federal counts of distributing child pornography.

Wireman was indicted on those charges in Kansas in February. Wireman used his Google email account to send a photograph of a toddler being sexually assaulted by an adult to another man in Michigan. Google identified the photo as child pornography and filed a CyberTipline report. Investigators followed an electronic trail to Wireman, who made unauthorized use of his neighbor's wireless Internet service to send the photograph.  Investigators found more child pornography on his phone, which Wireman had also distributed. Investigators learned that Wiremen and the man to whom he had sent child pornography became friends in prison while Wireman was serving time for a previous sex offense.  

Wireman has prior convictions in 1994 and 2007 in Michigan for sex offenses.

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 2,300 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 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.

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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