New London Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Pornography
Operation Constant Vigilance
| U.S. Attorney’s Office October 17, 2011 |
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL L. ROARTY, 49, of New London, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for possessing child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an undercover FBI agent in Oklahoma City, Okla., connected to a peer-to-peer Internet file-sharing program in an effort to identify individuals distributing child pornography. The investigation revealed that images of child pornography had been sent from an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to an account holder at 130 Hawthorne Drive in New London. In October 2008, agents with the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force conducted a search of ROARTY’s residence and seized two computers. Subsequent forensic analysis of the seized computers revealed images and videos of child pornography, including depictions of children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
On July 29, 2011, ROARTY waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deborah R. Slater.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative and the District of Connecticut’s “Operation Constant Vigilance,” which are aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force investigates crimes occurring over the Internet, including computer intrusion, Internet fraud, copyright violations, Internet threats and harassment, and online crimes against children. The task force also provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. The task force is housed in the main FBI office in New Haven, Connecticut. For more information about the task force, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.