Previously convicted Illinois sex offender faces life in federal prison following his guilty verdict for producing child pornography

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A federal jury on Friday convicted a previously convicted sex offender of producing child pornography, which mandates a lifetime prison sentence.

This guilty verdict resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in cooperation with the Springfield Police Department.

A jury deliberated for more than three hours Oct. 30 before returning guilty verdicts against Marcus B. Fifer, 44, for producing child pornography. Fifer, of Springfield, was convicted on 17 counts of sexually exploiting a minor to produce child pornography, and one count of committing a felony offense with a minor while being required to register as a sex offender. The jury returned not-guilty verdicts on six counts of sexually exploiting a minor.

U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough, Central District of Illinois, presided over the trial which began Oct. 27.

At trial, the government presented evidence that from April 1, 2013 through Nov. 18, 2013, Fifer used a cell phone, tablet and laptop computer to take images of a minor. Further evidence from the government established that Fifer previously pleaded guilty in 2008 to aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Champaign County, Illinois. At the time of the offenses for which Fifer was convicted Oct. 30, he was required to register as a sex offender.

At his Feb. 29 sentencing, Fifer faces mandatory life in prison for each count of sexually exploiting a minor to produce child pornography. Fifer was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, where he has been detained since his arrest in February 2014.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys John E. Childress and Matthew Z. Weir, Central District of Illinois, are prosecuting this case. 

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.