Watervliet Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison on Child Pornography Charges

GRAND RAPIDS, MI—David Alan Inman, 51, of Watervliet, Michigan, was sentenced on Wednesday, July 24, 2013 to 96 months (eight years) in federal prison for receipt of child pornography videos, U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles, Jr. announced today. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff imposed a 10-year term of supervised release that will commence once Inman is released from imprisonment. Inman will also be required to register as a sexual offender.

The case stemmed from an online investigation that took place in late 2009. During that investigation, members of law enforcement learned that an individual, later identified as Inman, had made numerous items of child pornography available for download on the Internet. Agents ultimately executed two search warrants at Inman’s home and recovered a number of computers that contained a substantial collection of child pornography. Inman confessed to downloading child pornography images and videos from the Internet, and he further admitted to sharing child pornography with others via the Internet.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor’s offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following website: www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Lewis prosecuted the case.