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Feds knew man had child porn, but couldn't make a case. 4 years later, he molested a toddler.
Pilotonline ^
| 13 Dec 2018
| Scott Daugherty
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 Webster’s 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 Webster’s home and didn’t have enough evidence to obtain a search warrant. He said agents still visited the house, spoke with Webster’s 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 we’ve 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.
Webster’s 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 Webster’s 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 didn’t 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 Webster’s 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 didn’t deserve the maximum sentence in light of all he’d gone through growing up.
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; US: New Jersey; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: abuse; fbi; gaypride; homosexualagenda; manboylove; molest; porn; sexoffenders
Dashawn Webster
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.
1
posted on
12/14/2018 3:15:55 AM PST
by
csvset
To: csvset
“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.
To: csvset
In 2012, agents had downloaded “numerous” photos from Dashawn Webster's IP addressHow does this work exactly?
3
posted on
12/14/2018 3:37:13 AM PST
by
Drew68
To: csvset
“”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.
4
posted on
12/14/2018 3:46:34 AM PST
by
jacknhoo
(Luke 12:51; Think ye, that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no; but separation.)
To: Drew68
I’m guessing , (and only a guess), the FIB accessed Webster’s account via Webster’s Internet Service Provider.
5
posted on
12/14/2018 3:53:06 AM PST
by
csvset
(illegitimi non carborundum)
To: jacknhoo
6
posted on
12/14/2018 4:10:34 AM PST
by
jacknhoo
(Luke 12:51; Think ye, that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no; but separation.)
To: 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.
- Who was President in 2012?
- Go figure, it was Barack Hussein Obama.
- Who was FBI Director in 2012?
- Another stunner, it was Robert Mueller.
- Who was Attorney General overseeing the FBI in 2012?
- You don't say, it was Eric Holder.
7
posted on
12/14/2018 4:14:49 AM PST
by
Dahoser
To: jacknhoo
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...
8
posted on
12/14/2018 4:15:49 AM PST
by
wastoute
(Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
To: jacknhoo
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...
9
posted on
12/14/2018 4:19:59 AM PST
by
a fool in paradise
(Denounce DUAC - The Democrats Un-American Activists Committtee)
To: csvset
Just think of how many children he could feed in africa
To: jacknhoo
”Not only was the government the largest distributor of child pornography ... it was also the largest exploiter of children,” Pawlak’s attorney said in a court filing.
—
The FBI is a criminal organization. It runs child porn sites, extortion rackets, protection rackets, executions.
To: Gen.Blather
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.
12
posted on
12/14/2018 5:03:10 AM PST
by
SantosLHalper
(Eat some bacon.No, I got no idea if it'll make you feel better, I just made too much bacon.")
To: csvset
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)
13
posted on
12/14/2018 5:25:55 AM PST
by
VTenigma
(The Democrat party is the party of the mathematically challenged)
To: csvset
The shot heard round the world.
To: csvset
The FBI calls in sick again.
15
posted on
12/14/2018 5:44:12 AM PST
by
moovova
To: moovova
“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...
16
posted on
12/14/2018 5:48:03 AM PST
by
moovova
To: jacknhoo
I’ve often wondered if most of the child porn on the internet remains in circulation by law enforcement.
17
posted on
12/14/2018 5:50:14 AM PST
by
Drew68
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