United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced today a Dearborn County, Indiana, man who was on parole of a previous conviction on child pornography charges, was sentenced for possession of child pornography.
Wayne D. Brown 48, Aurora, was sentenced to 135 months (over 11 years) imprisonment by U. S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt late last week.
“This Office has sent a consistent message when it comes to child pornography and the re-victimization of our children,” said Minkler. “Child Pornography is child abuse, and individuals who continue to traffic in child abuse imagery will go to prison.”
According to court records, Brown was on Indiana parole for convictions of Possession of Child Pornography and Child Exploitation in Dearborn County from 2007. Following his prison sentence, Brown signed a condition of parole release agreement, allowing for reasonable visitation to his residence by the Indiana Department of Correction, no out-of-state travel, no on-line computer access, no alcohol use and no possession of obscene material.
Less than 3 months after his release from prison, on December 15, 2016, Brown met his parole officer and was confronted about being out of state without authorization. Later that evening, Indiana parole agents then conducted an unannounced home visit at Brown’s residence and removed an internet-enabled cell phone and a laptop computer. An examination of the devices revealed large quantities of child pornography, including images of infants and toddlers and other pre-pubescent children being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dearborn County Prosecutor’s Office, the Indiana State Police Cyber Crimes Unit and Indiana State Parole.
“The FBI investigates all child pornography cases with a sense of urgency due to the extreme vulnerability of the victims involved – our children,” said Robert Alex Middleton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “This case demonstrates our commitment, and that of our law enforcement partners, to protect those who can’t protect themselves and ensure those who would harm them are brought to justice.”
“Mr. Brown’s repeated criminal acts demonstrate that he cannot be free in society,” said Dearborn County Prosecutor Lynn Deddens. “Thank you to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting the case and leveraging additional penalties available under federal law that do not exist under our state criminal code. Brown’s deviant acts, that were investigated by county, state and federal law enforcement officials working hand in hand led to his arrest. Because of this teamwork, we have one more perpetrator incarcerated and one less person committing child abuse.”
“This case is an example of the diligent efforts of Indiana State Parole Agents. Here, we had an officer who took his responsibility to protect the community seriously, and once he detected violations by the defendant, he acted immediately. It was his quick search of the defendant’s residence that uncovered the defendant’s repeated crimes against children,” said Minkler.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Kristina M. Korobov who prosecuted this case for the government, Brown must serve 10 additional years of supervised release after his prison sentence.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to utilize and partner with law enforcement agencies to prosecute individuals engaged in the sexual exploitation of children. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 4.2.
