Norman Kelly, a 69-year-old resident of Albion, New York, was sentenced on Mar. 30 to serve 144 months in prison after being convicted of receipt of child pornography, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address crimes involving the exploitation of minors and the distribution and possession of illegal materials.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins said that Kelly arrived at the Port of Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan, on October 20, 2023, following a flight from Incheon, South Korea. During an inspection by Customs and Border Protection officers, Kelly was found with a cell phone, a laptop computer in his bag, and four USB thumb drives. Due to nervous behavior and inconsistencies in his travel story during questioning, officers examined his electronic devices.
A search revealed what appeared to be suspected child pornography on the devices. Further investigation determined that between March 12 and September 20, 2023, Kelly used his laptop computer to entice minors into sexually explicit behavior for the purpose of producing images he would then receive over the internet. Authorities reported that on March 12 he received a sexually explicit image depicting a female child approximately aged ten to twelve years old; on July 20 he received a video file involving an infant female estimated at one-and-a-half to three years old. In total, Kelly possessed about 475 image files and 377 video files containing child sexual abuse material—some showing violence against children.
Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation under Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan's direction with assistance from Customs and Border Protection as well as Homeland Security Investigations based in Detroit.
The sentencing underscores law enforcement's continued commitment to investigating crimes related to child exploitation.
