Utah man sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to receiving child pornography
SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah man was sentenced this week to serve 15 years in federal prison following his conviction in December for receiving child pornography.
This case was investigated by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Laron Thomas Zaugg, 50, of Ogden, Utah, reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in December. He admitted that beginning about Aug. 26, 2014, and continuing until about Dec, 5, 2014, he received images and videos of child pornography on his yahoo email account. As a part of the plea agreement, he admitted knowing that the images included depictions of prepubescent children being sexually assaulted by adults.
“Under our active Operation Predator program, HSI special agents have removed another predator from the streets for a long time,” said John Eisert, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Denver, which includes Utah. “HSI special agents identify and target these predators to rescue and bring justice to their young victims, and help protect other children by apprehending these predators in our communities.”
“This is a significant sentence for a child predator whose conduct represents a danger to children in our community,” U.S. Attorney John W. Huber, District of Utah, said today. “My office is committed to protect and advocate on behalf of the most vulnerable victims in our community – children.” According to Huber, 41 federal child exploitation cases were filed in Utah during 2016. Through March of this year, 14 new cases have been filed. Cases filed in federal court generally involve producing, distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography.
Zaugg was charged with receiving and advertising child pornography in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in April 2015. The charges followed information developed by the Queensland (Australia) Police Service during an undercover operation on a Russian photo-sharing site known for trading child pornography. Continued investigation by HSI special agents led officers to Zaugg’s home in Ogden. The Utah ICAC Task Force helped with executing a search warrant in the case.
In addition to his prison sentence, Zaugg will be on supervised release for life after he completes his prison sentence.
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.
Updated: