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Judge Sentences South Bay Accountant to Life in Federal Prison
for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material of Filipino Victims
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Central District of California
Monday, October 24, 2022
LOS ANGELES – A South Bay man was sentenced today to life without parole in federal prison after he admitted to producing thousands of sexually explicit images and videos of nearly three dozen children, one of whom was exploited over the course of at least two years and performed sex acts online in exchange for money.
Billy Edward Frederick, 52, of Redondo Beach, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who said that “to say his conduct is despicable is an understatement.”
Judge Fischer added that “life in prison adequately reflects the seriousness of the offense” in which Frederick “targeted” victims in a “part of the world where children are known for being sexually exploited.”
Frederick pleaded guilty in September 2021 to two felony offenses: production of child pornography for transportation into the United States and enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
According to court documents, Frederick obtained and stored in his Google accounts various images and videos depicting child sex abuse material. In messages sent to Frederick, several victims call Frederick “master.” Prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum that Frederick exploited “young boys in the Philippines in need of money for food and school.”
Frederick admitted to producing more than 5,000 images and videos of child pornography involving at least 35 different children by requesting these children engage in specified sexually explicit activity in exchange for money. Some of the videos and images depicted minor victims under the age of 12 being used for sexual acts.
“Using Google chat to bridge their geographical divide, [Frederick], while living in Los Angeles County, exploited numerous boys who lived in the Philippines,” according to the sentencing memorandum. Frederick’s “years-long conversations with these Philippine boys were not coded; they were explicit and lurid – brimming with details regarding what defendant liked, demanded, and expected from his victims, should they wish to be paid.”
In addition to the life sentence, Judge Fischer ordered Frederick to pay $5,000 to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015; $5,000 to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018, and $8,000 in restitution to one of the victims.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Kathy Yu of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 40 years for Transporting
Child Sexual Abuse Material
Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
Thursday, October 27, 2022
An Oklahoma man was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for transporting child pornography that he produced of an 18-month-old infant and for being a person required to register as a sex offender who committed a felony offense involving a minor.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Johnson for the Northern District of Indiana made the announcement.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), along with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Tulsa Police Department Cyber Crimes Unit, investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily A. Morgan and Jennifer Chang for the Northern District of Indiana prosecuted the case.
This case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Former Putnam County Librarian Sentenced To Over 21 Years In Federal
Prison For Production And Distribution Of Child Sex Abuse Images
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Middle District of Florida
Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Kurt Batucan Sheldon (31, Interlachen) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for production and distribution of child sex abuse images. Sheldon was also ordered to serve a life-term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. In addition, the court ordered $13,000 in restitution for the victims of Sheldon’s offenses. Sheldon was arrested on September 4, 2020, and ordered detained during the proceedings in the case. He had pleaded guilty on February 17, 2022.
According to court documents, this case was initiated when parents of a minor female child made a report to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office about sexually explicit messages being sent by an adult to their child on two different social media applications. The adult referred to himself as “K t,” and used the username “tacticfallout.” “K t” originally began communicating with the minor child on a social media application and represented himself as a male, between 25-29 years of age. The minor child told him that she was 15 years old. “K t” told the minor child that his name was “Kurt” and that he lived in Putnam. The child told “Kurt” she lived with her parents and was in school. Their conversation later moved to another social media platform, over which “K t” requested child sex abuse material—images and videos—from the minor child and directed the child on how to take the images and how to pose. Approximately 50 images and/or videos were sent to “K t” at his direction.
Further investigation by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations identified Sheldon’s residence as the source of the IP address used by the account, “tacticfallout,” and for other associated accounts.
On September 4, 2020, HSI agents and deputies and detectives from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Sheldon’s residence. Sheldon admitted there would be child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices and that he was attracted to children. He also admitted to asking girls he met via online applications, who he knew to be underage, to send him nude photographs, including a 15-year-old female. Forensic examination of his devices identified more than a thousand images and several hundred videos depicting child sex abuse.
During the same investigation, HSI also learned of a 2016 St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office investigation involving Sheldon’s IP address and residential address engaging in peer-to-peer file sharing of child sex abuse materials. Law enforcement accessed and downloaded files that contained child sex abuse materials that were later connected to Sheldon. Sheldon also admitted his involvement in this conduct.
“Men who use the anonymity of the internet to prey on the vulnerability and innocence of children are a special kind of evil,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Through our partnerships with the Clay County, Putnam County and St. Johns County Sheriff’s Offices, we will remain vigilant in targeting these dark web predators, bringing them to justice to face their crimes.”
This case was investigated by Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Putnam Co., Fla
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