Lakeland man pleads guilty to producing child pornography

TAMPA, Fla. – A Lakeland man pleaded guilty Tuesday to producing child pornography following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Lakeland Police Department.

According to the plea agreement, a caller made an anonymous tip to the HSI Tip Line, which resulted in an investigation. From approximately December 2012 to April 2013, Lawrence H. Dorman, aka "Howie," 42, engaged in a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old female. Throughout the course of the relationship, Dorman produced videos of himself engaged in sexual acts with the minor.

On April 3, HSI special agents, Lakeland Police Department officers and Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies conducted a search warrant at Dorman’s residence. During the search of the residence, they seized and previewed several electronic media items, including a video file on Dorman's desktop computer. The video depicted Dorman engaged in sexual contact with a minor female victim. When interviewed by law enforcement, Dorman admitted to having sex with the minor victim and creating videos of the sex acts.

A subsequent interview with the minor victim corroborated the seized evidence. Additionally, the minor victim advised that Dorman provided her with marijuana and methamphetamine while she was at his residence.

Dorman faces between 15 and 30 years in federal prison. A date for his sentencing hearing has not been set.

Dorman was indicted July 31.

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.