Pennsylvania man pleads guilty in child exploitation case

PHILADELPHIA – Following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty to distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography.

Niyaz Sainudeen, 41, of Bethlehem, Pa., pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of distributing child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

HSI special agents found hundreds of images and dozens of videos depicting child pornography on Sainudeen's computer during a March 8 search of his home. According to court records, in July 2011, Sainudeen engaged in a chat session with an undercover HSI special agent. As a result of the chat, Sainudeen gave the undercover special agent access to a password-protected folder containing child pornography. After being questioned by special agents during the search of his home, Sainudeen attempted to flee to his native India and was arrested at JFK Airport.

Sainudeen is scheduled to be sentenced February 22, 2013. He faces a maximum possible sentence of 70 years in prison, and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joan E. Burnes.

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide HSI initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders and child sex traffickers. HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE 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, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.