North Texas man sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography

FORT WORTH, Texas — A North Texas man was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means to the statutory maximum of 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography.

This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.  The Arlington (Texas) Police Department, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this case.

According to documents filed in the case, between about January and April 2014, Bryan Kendall Pittsinger, 39, of Arlington, Texas, knowingly used a minor female (MV1) to engage in sexually explicit conduct that he photographed at his Arlington residence.

In August 2014, officers with the Arlington Police Department executed a search warrant at Pittsinger’s residence and seized numerous pieces of digital media, to include computers, flash drives, CD/DVDs, mobile phones and cameras. Sexually explicit images of MV1, who was about 6 years old at the time, were located on his computer.

Pittsinger pleaded guilty in March 2016 to one count of producing child pornography.

Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Saleem, Northern District of Texas, was in charge of the prosecution.

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.