Virginia Man Sentenced in Child Pornography and Attempted Enticement Case

WASHINGTON—A 24-year-old Virginia man, William McCouch, was sentenced today by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to concurrent sentences of 70 months in prison on one count of Transportation of Child Pornography, and 12 months of imprisonment on one count of Attempted Enticement of a Minor, Acting United States Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced. McCouch, who must register as a sex offender, will also serve ten years on supervised release upon his release from prison, and pay a $1,000 fine.

According to the government’s evidence, on November 3, 2008, an individual later identified as the defendant, William McCouch, initiated contact with Metropolitan Police Department Detective Timothy Palchak, who was acting in an undercover capacity as part of a multi-jurisdictional FBI Task Force. Detective Palchak identified himself as a 38-year-old male pedophile who was sexually active with his girlfriend’s 9-year-old daughter. The defendant identified himself as a 23-year-old male who resided in Arlington, Virginia, and had a sexual interest in children 10 years old and up.

Detective Palchak had several Yahoo private message conversations with the defendant that started on November 3, 2008, and ended on December 15, 2008. In the course of these communications, the defendant sent Detective Palchak, via computer, several images, to include three images of a prepubescent girl, estimated to be approximately 8 years old, being sexually abused. As a result of these conversations, on December 15, the defendant met with Detective Palchak in the District of Columbia, expecting to have sex with a 9-year-old girl. The defendant was placed under arrest after a brief chase and struggle.

A subsequent search of the defendant’s computers located at his home in Arlington, Virginia, revealed the images that the defendant had sent to Detective Palchak via computer. The defendant’s computers also contained five videos as well as twenty-five additional images. Both the videos and the images contained pornographic images including the vaginal and anal penetration of prepubescent girls.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood and the FBI/MPD Child Exploitation Task Force. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the quick action and investigative work of a joint task force consisting of Metropolitan Police Department Detectives Timothy Palchak, Jonathan Andrews, Morani Hines, and Miguel Miranda; the Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent assigned to the case; and other members of the Task Force. Finally, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips commended Criminal Investigator John Marsh who provided forensic analysis; Phaylyn Hunt and Latoya Davenport who provided paralegal support; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jean Sexton, who prosecuted this case.