U.S.
Attorney Announces Arrest as Part of Ongoing Project Safe Childhood
INDIANAPOLIS—Joseph H. Hogsett, the
United States Attorney, announced today that former FBI agent Donald J.
Sachtleben, age 54, of Carmel, has been charged by criminal complaint with
possessing and distributing child pornography.
“The mission of our Project Safe
Childhood initiative is to investigate and prosecute anyone found to engaged in
the sexual exploitation of children,” Hogsett said. “Today’s announcement
underscores this serious commitment and should make clear that no matter who
you are, you will be brought to justice if you are found guilty of such
criminal behavior.”
According to the criminal complaint
unsealed today, federal and state law enforcement became aware of an individual
allegedly trading images of child pornography online in September 2010. An
extensive investigation into that individual led to the arrest of a defendant
in Illinois in January 2012. Upon arrest, a forensic search of that defendant’s
computer equipment and e-mail accounts allegedly revealed that he had been
actively trading such materials online with numerous other people.
Based on that information, law
enforcement were then able to trace the alleged online activity of one of those
other individuals to Sachtleben’s home in Carmel. After conducting surveillance
over a period of days, a search warrant was obtained on May 3, 2012 and was
subsequently executed by law enforcement officers from the Indiana State Police
and the FBI Cyber Crime Task Force.
The complaint alleges that an initial
forensic examination of Sachtleben’s laptop computer revealed the presence of
approximately 30 images and video files containing child pornography. It is
alleged that a number of files identified during this initial search matched
those that had been found in the course of investigating the Illinois
defendant. The complaint further alleges that the laptop’s hard drive contained
references to other files known to have been in the possession of the Illinois
defendant.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney
Stephen D. DeBrota, who is prosecuting the case for the government, Sachtleben
could face up to 20 years in prison for the distribution charge and up to 10
years for the possession charge. Both charges also carry up to a $250,000 fine
and lifetime supervised release if he is found to be guilty. A probable cause
and detention hearing are scheduled before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kennard P.
Foster on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. Sachtleben will remain in custody until that
time.
This case was brought as part of Project
Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child
sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of
Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s
Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 on Project Safe Childhood, visit
www.projectsafechildhood.gov
A criminal complaint is only a charge
and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled
to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable
doubt.
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