Spokane - Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Dustin Mason, age 21, of Cheney, Washington, was sentenced today, after having previously pled guilty on Jan. 29, 2015 to Production of Child Pornography. Chief United States District Court Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson sentenced Mason to a fifteen year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a life term of court supervision after he is released from Federal prison. In addition, Mason was ordered to forfeit to the United States the computer, iPhone, iPad and thumbdrive that he used to receive and produce child pornography. Mason will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, Mason was the administer of a FaceBook account which he used to locate young boys, approximately 14-15 years old, who he would entice to engage in sexual acts. Mason would create images and videos of the sexual acts, thus, he produced sexually explicit images of minors. On March 26, 2014, the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a federal search warrant at Mason’s residence in Cheney, Washington and seized Mason’s digital devices that he used to produce child pornography.
Michael C. Ormsby stated, “I commend the outstanding efforts of the FBI in investigating this matter. The United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Washington is, and will continue to be, committed to prosecuting aggressively and seeking appropriate punishment for child pornography crimes. Prosecuting offenders who produce child pornography is one of the top priorities of the United States Attorney’s Office."
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States 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. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC") has five major components:
· Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child
exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
· Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
· Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
· Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
· Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Stephanie J. Lister, an Assistant United States Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Eastern District of Washington.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
