June 20, 2014

Week in Review—Fort Wayne

FORT WAYNE, IN—The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

DISPOSITION (before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann):

  • Troy Ditiway, 27, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment, five years’ supervised release, $100 special assessment and $2,000 restitution, after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possessing visual depictions which were shipped and transported using any means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce, the production of which involved the use of an actual minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. According to documents filed in this case, in February 2012 a Federal Search Warrant was executed at a residence in Fort Myers, Florida after an online undercover investigation led members of the Fort Myers, Florida FBI to identify a child pornography distributor. A confession was obtained by the individual who indicated that he routinely “chatted” with individuals via an instant messenger service. When receiving child pornography during “photoshare” sessions during these chats, the individual would save the received images within a folder. A review of the consensual takeover account was performed and task force officers observed messenger conversations with Ditiway. These conversations contained verbiage indicative of child pornography distribution between both parties. A forensic preview on a laptop was conducted and observed were images depicting child pornography. This investigation led officers to the Fort Wayne, Indiana area wherein a Federal Search Warrant was executed in September 2012, and graphic images of child pornography were recovered. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.