South Dartmouth man charged with child pornography offenses

BOSTON - A South Dartmouth man was arrested Thursday and charged in U.S. District Court in Boston with child pornography offenses.

Jack L. Bean, Jr., 29, was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The arrest is a result of a joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Dartmouth Police Department.

According to court documents, in September 2015, a law enforcement investigation identified an Internet-based bulletin board dedicated to the advertisement, distribution and production of child pornography with over 1,500 users who actively post new content and engage in online discussions involving the sexual exploitation of minors. Bean was allegedly identified as a user on the bulletin board. During a search executed by law enforcement officers today, Bean admitted that he downloaded and saved child pornography from the Internet, and that he had a sexual preference for girls approximately 14 years old. During the execution of the search warrant, agents identified 40 images and 29 videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct on Bean’s laptop.

The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and no greater than 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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.