Daniel Turner Widner of Roebuck, 26, has received a federal prison sentence of 15 years for distributing child sexual abuse material. During a sentencing hearing, evidence showed that Widner moderated an online chat group dedicated to trading such material. An undercover officer joined the group, pretending to be an 11-year-old girl. Widner sent various images of child sexual abuse material to the officer and requested compromising images.
Authorities tracked down Widner’s location and conducted a search of his home, seizing electronic devices. Over 80,000 images of child sexual abuse material were found on these devices. Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Cain handed down a 15-year imprisonment sentence along with lifetime supervised release for Widner.
The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Investigations led the case's investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Watkins oversaw the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aiming to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The program, managed by the United States Attorneys' Offices, collaborates federal, state, and local efforts to find, arrest, and prosecute individuals exploiting children online, alongside efforts to identify and rescue victims.
For detailed information, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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"NOTE: The term 'child pornography' is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, 'child sexual abuse material' is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child. The Associated Press Stylebook also discourages the use of the phrase 'child pornography.'"
