Southeast Texas man pleads guilty to possessing child pornography
VICTORIA, Texas — A local man pleaded guilty Monday to possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas.
This investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of the Corpus Christi (Texas) Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
In December 2014, HSI special agents executed a search warrant at the residence of Sean Patrick Mciver, 28 and seized various electronic devices. HSI special agents using peer-to-peer software were able to successfully download various files containing child pornography from an Internet Protocol address that was associated to Mciver. Mciver admitted to using peer-to-peer software to download child pornography. A forensic analysis on the electronic devices revealed more than 450 images and 24 videos of child pornography.
Mciver was arrested on the federal charges in March and has been in custody since that time. He will remain in custody pending his sentencing hearing. Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey accepted his guilty plea and set sentencing for Nov. 2.
“Child pornography is the permanent record of a child being sexually exploited, and this victimization continues every time that image is transmitted, downloaded, shared or viewed,” said Brian M. Moskowitz, special agent in charge of HSI Houston. “HSI special agents take special pride in their role of seeking justice on behalf of those who have been sexually exploited and victimized.”
Mciver faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Upon completion of any prison term imposed, Mciver also faces a maximum of life on supervised release during which time the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect and prohibit the use of the Internet.
Assistant U.S. Hugo R. Martinez, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted 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.
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