Repeat offender convicted on child pornography charges

SEATTLE – An Algona man convicted in 2000 on federal child pornography charges was convicted Thursday on new charges of possession and distribution of child pornography, following a four-day jury trial.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Algona Police Department, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), with further assistance provided by the Seattle Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

In April 2011, Michael Allen Dreyer, 59, came to the attention of NCIS special agents, who observed him sharing images of minors engaging in sexual acts through peer-to-peer software. After tracing Dryer's Internet protocol address to Algona, NCIS notified Algona police, who began an investigation with the Seattle ICAC Task Force and HSI.

Law enforcement served a search warrant at Dryer's residence in July 2011 and seized computers and digital media storage devices. HSI forensic examiners found more than 20 videos and in excess of 1,300 images of child pornography.

In 2000, Dryer was investigated by special agents of the U.S. Customs Service for possession of child pornography. He received a 27 month prison sentence on those charges.

Dryer's sentencing in this latest case is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2013, before Chief U.S. District Judge Marsha J. Pechman. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of up to 40 years. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington.

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.