Johns Creek Subdivision Resident Sentenced for Child Pornography Charges Involving Images of Neighborhood Girls

ATLANTA—DIRK LaPAGLIA, 53, of Alpharetta, Georgia, was sentenced today to federal prison by Senior United States District Judge Orinda D. Evans for manufacturing hundreds of sexually explicit images of more than two dozen underage girls from his neighborhood, where he superimposed photos of their faces onto pornographic images.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said of the case, “This defendant’s disturbing criminal acts destroyed an entire community’s sense of trust. As was made clear in court today, his victims remain scared and confused; they—and we—cannot understand why a father and friend from their neighborhood would do this to them and their families. And, of course, they worry about the possible impact of the defendant’s illegal conduct on their future, should these obscene images resurface elsewhere.”

Brian D. Lamkin, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, said, “This case makes it clear that our communities must remain vigilant as we protect our children from those who would do them harm. This defendant was literally living among those whom he chose to exploit and violate by taking such images of them for his own gratification. The FBI will continue to work with its various law enforcement partners in identifying, investigating, and presenting for prosecution, those individuals who choose to exploit and prey upon our children in such a manner.”

LaPAGLIA was sentenced to six years in federal prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to undergo addiction therapy and treatment as available, as well as register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. LaPAGLIA pleaded guilty to the charge October 6, 2011.

According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and court documents: The case began when Johns Creek authorities investigated a series of stalking incidents in which neighborhood residents, including at least one minor, were sent anonymous packages containing lingerie and letters describing sexual encounters involving various adults and children in the neighborhood.

On April 13, 2011, LaPAGLIA was interviewed by local authorities and, after initially denying being the sender of the packages, admitted that he had, in fact, delivered several such parcels to girls and women in his neighborhood.

Two days later, local police executed a search warrant at his house and found additional sexually explicit letters along with a cache of photos that LaPAGLIA had created by combining photos of neighborhood women and girls with pornographic images. The police seized LaPAGLIA’s computer for further examination. On the computer, they found a collection of over 600 images depicting the faces/upper torsos of neighborhood girls morphed onto the naked bodies of other females engaged in various explicit sex acts. Authorities have identified at least two dozen victims of this conduct—actual minor females who lived in LaPAGLIA’s neighborhood or adjacent communities.

The examination of the computer also revealed that LaPAGLIA had clandestinely entered several neighbors’ homes, found the girl’s bedroom, placed the girl’s undergarments on the girl’s bed, and then filmed himself engaging in auto-erotic behavior.

The computer evidence additionally showed that LaPAGLIA had established a Facebook account in which he masqueraded as a high school girl in an effort to obtain more photos of his victims.

Finally, law enforcement found on LaPAGLIA’s computer letters ostensibly from lingerie sellers such as Victoria’s Secret that were addressed to his victims. In these letters, LaPAGLIA dangled the opportunity of lucrative modeling contracts if the girls would send sample photos to an e-mail address that further investigation showed was registered to LaPAGLIA.

This case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with invaluable assistance from the Roswell Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Robert McBurney prosecuted the case.

For further information, please contact Sally Q. Yates, United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.