Posted on 12/14/2018 3:15:55 AM PST by csvset
Four years before a Portsmouth man molested a toddler on camera to gain special access to child pornography websites, the FBI was hot on his trail, according to court documents.
In 2012, agents had downloaded numerous photos from Dashawn Webster's IP address, a federal prosecutor explained. But then the 17-year-old moved to New Jersey before a Norfolk-based agent could interview him, and there was no resolution to the matter, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi wrote.
Webster, now 23, was sentenced Thursday to more than 24 years in federal prison for producing child pornography.
It is unclear exactly what happened with the original FBI investigation, which was launched before Websters interests evolved from viewing child pornography to creating it.
In a prepared statement, an FBI spokeswoman said its agents in Norfolk and Newark, N.J., pursued the matter "as far as the law allows."
"The limited evidence available at the time prevented investigators from moving the case forward to a prosecution," said Christina Pullen, who is based out of the FBI's Norfolk Field Office. She didn't elaborate.
In court this morning, the Homeland Security Investigations agent who arrested Webster earlier this year offered his understanding of what happened in 2012.
From the stand, Special Agent Paul Wolpert said he was told the FBI downloaded only one image from a computer linked to Websters home and didnt have enough evidence to obtain a search warrant. He said agents still visited the house, spoke with Websters mother and got permission to search the computers that were still there. No child porn was found.
He said he thought FBI agents in Norfolk contacted the Newark field office about Webster.
"I believe they did what they could to determine if there was any activity where he was located, Wolpert said.
According to court documents, Webster had a deep-seated interest in child pornography. By the time he was arrested May 18, he'd amassed more than 8,000 videos and more than 110,000 images.
"This is one of the most heinous cases of child exploitation weve seen locally both in the size of the pornography collection and the offenses committed to produce it," said Michael Lamonea, assistant special agent in charge of HSI's Norfolk field office.
Citing a forensic analysis of his computers and other electronics, Yusi said Webster appeared to have been collecting child pornography since at least 2012. Over the years, she said, his activity progressed from trading images and videos using peer-to-peer software, to participating in online forums and to physically abusing a child.
Websters collection included over 600 images and videos of him graphically abusing the 2-year-old boy, Yusi said. Many of the images were watermarked with one of Websters screen names.
He then shared the images with others in order to impress them and get a membership into certain online forums, Yusi said in court documents.
Wolpert testified Webster wanted VIP status.
The charges against Webster do not stem from the 2012 FBI investigation. Court documents credit Interpol and the Homeland Security Investigations office in Boston with identifying him as a suspect while investigating unspecified dark web child porn websites.
Wolpert said he didnt know about the FBI investigation until after Webster was in custody.
HSI agents recovered a thumb drive from a suspect in another case that included 17 watermarked images of a prepubescent boy that appeared to be homemade, according to court documents. Agents determined those images were produced by a man who used multiple screen names on child pornography websites.
Investigators eventually linked one username to Websters old address on Rex Avenue in Portsmouth and to Webster himself, documents said.
Following his arrest, Webster confessed to making the child pornography, documents said.
In court Thursday, Yusi said Webster deserved a sentence of 30 years in prison the maximum. She noted his extended interest in 2012, and how Webster appeared to get more involved after the FBI spoke with his mother regarding their child porn investigation. Given the opportunity, Yusi said, the likelihood that Webster will return to this predatory behavior in the future is strong.
Assistant Federal Public Defender Wilfredo Bonilla Jr. argued 15 years was more appropriate due to his client's physical and mental health issues. He said Webster was repeatedly molested as a child and ridiculed for being overweight and having a learning disability. He said his client now weighs over 400 pounds and has the mind of a child.
In an apparent effort to drive home the point, Bonilla attached Webster's mugshot to a sentencing memo he filed with the court last month.
With the multitude of issues Dashawn has, it is not surprising that he isolated himself in his room and spent the majority of his time on the internet, Bonilla wrote in court documents. The internet is how he interacted with the outside world.
U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson said Webster was guilty of a truly objectionable offense but didnt deserve the maximum sentence in light of all hed gone through growing up.
Assistant Federal Public Defender Wilfredo Bonilla Jr. argued 15 years was more appropriate due to his client's physical and mental health issues. He said Webster was repeatedly molested as a child and ridiculed for being overweight and having a learning disability. He said his client now weighs over 400 pounds and has the mind of a child.
Why did the FBI drop the ball ? Russians perhaps? Who knows. Why keep a 400 pound child molester alive? Society would be better off executing the fat bastard.
“Why keep a 400 pound child molester alive?”
I suspect that The Founders felt that, regular as a pendulum, bad people would occupy high government positions and would use those positions to prosecute and execute political enemies. To prevent that from happening they had to protect everyone from execution, not just those who might become the enemy of some high political figure. Thus, we have useless oxygen users rotting in prison at great public expense. But we pay for that to protect those of us who might otherwise be persecuted by the very organs that would kill those same oxygen thieves.
It looks as if The Founders did believe in executions, but the crime had to be enormous in their view and very narrow in scope. I don’t think this type of crime was ever mentioned in their time period and must not have been widely known; probably because certain things were not discussed in “proper” society.
Adding to the executable crimes in today’s society probably can’t happen. It’s just not politically viable.
How does this work exactly?
“”The charges against Webster do not stem from the 2012 FBI investigation. Court documents credit Interpol and the Homeland Security Investigations office in Boston with identifying him as a suspect while investigating unspecified dark web child porn websites.””
Of course the charges didn’t stem from the FBI. The FBI runs the child trafficking and the child porn. The FBI only prosecutes those people who get in their way or who are working against their political power plays. When people try to report child predators to the FBI, they end up dead.
Im guessing , (and only a guess), the FIB accessed Websters account via Websters Internet Service Provider.
FBI ran website sharing thousands of child porn images http://usat.ly/1VbpWn0
The FBI ran a child porn site to catch predators, and now the accused are crying foul
(”Not only was the government the largest distributor of child pornography ... it was also the largest exploiter of children,” Pawlaks attorney said in a court filing.)
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2017/01/17/fbi-ran-child-porn-site-catch-predators-now-accused-crying-foul
The FBI likely ran nearly half the child porn sites on the dark web in 2016 https://thenextweb.com/security/2016/11/11/the-fbi-likely-ran-nearly-half-the-child-porn-sites-on-the-dark-web-in-2016/
Court Says FBI-Run Child Porn Site Shouldn’t Have Been Used to Nab Offender, Lets it Slide Anyway https://lawandcrime.com/fourth-amendment/court-says-fbi-run-child-porn-site-shouldnt-have-been-used-to-nab-offender-lets-it-slide-anyway/
Edward Snowden Tweet:
FBI: Let’s secretly run the biggest child porn site ever.
Judges: no
F: We’re just OPERATING it, not using it!
J: still no
F: *runs CP site*
https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/856902072394018820
FBI Informants Speak Out: Eric Holder’s DOJ Is Ignoring Child Sex-Trafficking Victims https://townhall.com/tipsheet/elisabethmeinecke/2012/07/30/fbi-informants-speak-out-eric-holders-doj-is-ignoring-child-sextrafficking-victims-n716787
BREAKING: Feds explain sweet deal for billionaire sex offender Epstein http://palmbeachpost.com/news/crime—law/breaking-feds-explain-sweet-deal-for-billionaire-sex-offender-epstein/nN5WTmFcZRaRXzHZSYWtLP/
CHILD TRAFFICKING & SEX SCANDAL EXPOSES CIA/FBI JUSTICE DEPARTMENT COVER-UP OF CRIME NETWORK
http://www.waronwethepeople.com/child-trafficking/
In 2012, agents had downloaded numerous photos from Dashawn Webster's IP address, a federal prosecutor explained. But then the 17-year-old moved to New Jersey before a Norfolk-based agent could interview him, and there was no resolution to the matter, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi wrote.
It is curious. We learned yesterday a human trafficking ring was broken up that involved a large number of young people that were victims. At the same time we are discovering folks like Weinstein and Epstein really exist. Somehow journalists can never seem to tie the two together...
In the introduction to Paul Krassner’s “Best of” The Realist, he claims that the FBI produced a “neo-nazi” flyer with swastikas and anti-semitic Jew hatred calling for the elimination of Jews and additionally specifically named Jerry Rubin, Paul Krassner, and Abbie Hoffman...
...he even cited FBI communications about said flyer...
Just think of how many children he could feed in africa
Not only was the government the largest distributor of child pornography ... it was also the largest exploiter of children, Pawlaks attorney said in a court filing.
—
The FBI is a criminal organization. It runs child porn sites, extortion rackets, protection rackets, executions.
I think child molestation should be a death penalty offense.
One appeal and then shove a cue ball up his a$$, lock the offender in a cage with 10 of the most violent offenders.
Whoever gets the cue ball gets to have 4 stars meals everyday, a 72” smart TV and a streaming subscription in his furnished, private cell, for the rest of his sentence.
Rinse and repeat until the sentence is carried to completion.
Would someone please tell me what the point of the DOJ and FBI is anymore? (other than to protect the commies and deep state that is)
The shot heard round the world.
The FBI calls in sick again.
“Four years before a Portsmouth man molested a toddler on camera...the FBI was hot on his trail...”
The FBI wouldn’t know “hot on his trail” if they had a lit blowtorch up their rear hole...unless somebody brought up PDJT’s name.
Then it’s Katy bar the door...
Ive often wondered if most of the child porn on the internet remains in circulation by law enforcement.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.