Missouri man sentenced in North Dakota for possessing child pornography

FARGO, N.D. — A southeastern Missouri man was sentenced Monday to 14 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography.

This sentence resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).

Billy Wynn Jr., 32, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, was also sentenced by U. S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson to serve 20 years of supervised release and to pay a $200 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

Wynn moved to North Dakota in September 2013.  Law enforcement discovered he was involved in a criminal enterprise that was sharing child pornography via web-based email accounts.

Wynn created various email accounts using aliases as a means to access child pornography and communicate directly with members of the child pornography ring. Wynn is believed to have left North Dakota in October 2013 when he discovered he was under investigation for an unrelated crime in North Dakota.  Local law enforcement in Illinois arrested him Aug. 1, 2014 on an outstanding federal warrant during a traffic stop.

As part of this investigation, which originated in North Dakota, other individuals have been arrested, including Patrick Lynch, a Cub Scout assistant Cubmaster in Boston.

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 14,000 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 2015, nearly 2,400 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.