Shalimar Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Production of Child Pornography

PENSACOLA, FL—On Friday afternoon, a Shalimar man was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for the production, advertisement, transportation, receipt, and possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Pamela C. Marsh, Northern District of Florida.

Between November 2008 and June 2010, Aaron C. Dawkins, 28, of Shalimar, Florida, was actively involved in the world of online child pornography. The investigation into his activities began when an undercover police officer in Toronto, Canada, learned that Dawkins was sharing child pornography on a publicly-available peer-to-peer file sharing network. When the officer contacted authorities in the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement got involved and were able to download child pornography directly from Dawkins over the Internet.

During the execution of a search warrant at Dawkins' Shalimar home in June, investigators seized electronic media containing thousands of images and videos of child pornography. In addition to the child pornography, Dawkins’ computer contained numerous "chats" with others involved in online child exploitation. A forensic review of a digital camera card possessed by Dawkins revealed images he took of himself engaged in sexual acts with a child of approximately 2 years of age.

Dawkins pled guilty in August before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Upon completion of his 25-year prison sentence, Dawkins will be on supervised release for life.

Ms. Marsh praised the work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, the Pensacola Police Department and the other members of the Northwest Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force whose joint investigation led to the conviction and sentence. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.