US airman sentenced to 6 years for child pornography
WILMINGTON, Del. — A U.S. Air Force service member was sentenced Tuesday to six years in federal prison along with five years of supervised release for receiving child pornography. His activities were discovered through a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) joint investigation.
Sean Mooney served as a senior airman stationed at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, when he was arrested by HSI special agents with assistance from OSI officials in January 2014 for charges of enticing a minor and transporting child pornography. Mooney also worked as a firefighter with the Little Creek Fire Company in Dover, Delaware, and was alleged to have had online and sexual contact with a 14-year-old female victim he met through a youth outreach program.
In addition to this sentencing, Mooney is also facing charges of sexual assault of a minor under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
"Today’s sentencing again demonstrates HSI’s determination to bring sexual predators out of the shadows and to justice,” said John Kelleghan, special agent in charge of HSI Philadelphia. “Those who believe they can hide behind their stature in the community are mistaken, and they will be held accountable for their actions.”
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 10,000 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.
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