Virginia man indicted on child porn charges

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A Fairfax man was indicted Thursday for the production of child pornography after he was allegedly found in possession of child pornography videos while crossing into Canada. The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington.

Padraic Collins, 46, faces 15 to 30 years in prison if convicted.

HSI Washington received information from HSI Toronto that Collins was arrested by the Canadian Border Services Agency for importing and possessing child pornography files on a handheld video camera and a laptop. The videos allegedly show Collins engaging in sexual activity with an underage girl.

HSI Washington, HSI Toronto and the Ottawa Provincial Police determined the identity of the 11-year-old female in the videos. The victim identified Collins as her abuser and confirmed the details of the sexual abuse, including that it took place in Springfield, Va.

HSI Buffalo, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Marshals Service also assisted with the investigation.