WASHINGTON — An investigation performed by the Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) Washington area workplace resulted in a seven-year jail sentence for a former Washington resident for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute and obtain baby pornography.
Ian Fried, 57, obtained the prolonged jail sentence on the U.S. District Court docket for the District of Columbia, Jan. 13.
“Right this moment’s sentencing is reflective of simply how despicable and damaging Fried’s crimes towards youngsters are,” stated HSI Washington Performing Particular Agent in Cost Derek W. Gordon. “HSI Washington stays devoted to the eradication of sexual exploitation of kids and can proceed to analyze and apprehend those that intend to revenue off the ache and abuse of others.”
In Could 2017, HSI Washington started investigating a gaggle of people who have been buying and selling baby sexual abuse materials on an internet-based client-server chatting protocol. Quite a few people situated throughout the nation have been utilizing the focused networks to debate, view and commerce baby sexual abuse materials and baby exploitation information.
The investigation revealed that Fried steadily used these chat networks between November 2018 by means of at the very least March 2020. Throughout these chat conversations, Fried shared hyperlinks containing information depicting the sexual abuse of younger youngsters. He additionally mentioned with different offenders the place to view and find baby pornography on the web.
In October 2021, HSI Washington obtained a warrant authorizing the search of Fried’s residence. Quite a few digital units, together with laptops, a pill, and exhausting drives have been recovered. A forensic evaluation of those units revealed they contained tons of of photos and movies depicting the sexual assault and exploitation of very younger youngsters.
HSI particular brokers arrested Fried in Arizona in November 2021. He pleaded responsible to conspiracy to distribute and obtain baby pornography in July 2022. Fried stays within the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending his switch to federal jail.
Upon completion of his jail time period, Fried might be positioned on 10 years of supervised launch. He will even be required to register as a intercourse offender for 15 years following his launch from jail. Fried was additionally ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his prison exercise.
This investigation was performed by HSI Washington with vital help from the Division of Justice and the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for Washington.
This case was introduced as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to fight the rising epidemic of kid sexual exploitation and abuse launched in Could 2006 by the Division of Justice. Led by United States Lawyer’s Places of work and the Legal Division’s Little one Exploitation and Obscenity Part, Undertaking Secure Childhood marshals federal, state, and native sources to higher find, apprehend and prosecute people who exploit youngsters through the web, in addition to to determine and rescue victims.
Members of the general public can report crimes or suspicious exercise by calling the HSI tip line at 866-347-2423. The tip line is manned 24 hours a day.
HSI, a directorate of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety (DHS), accountable for investigating transnational crime and threats, particularly these prison organizations that exploit the worldwide infrastructure by means of which worldwide commerce, journey, and finance transfer. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 staff consists of greater than 6,800 particular brokers assigned to 225 cities all through america, and 93 abroad places in 56 nations. HSI’s worldwide presence represents DHS’s largest investigative regulation enforcement presence overseas and one of many largest worldwide footprints in U.S. regulation enforcement.
