NORFOLK, VA—Sierra Danyelle Halsey, 23, of Suffolk, Virginia, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for production of child pornography and obstruction of justice. Dana J. Boente, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Clark Settles, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar.

Halsey pleaded guilty on May 5, 2014. According to court documents, Halsey became involved in the conspiracy when she was contacted by coconspirator Robert Harold Scott, Jr. under his assumed online identity of “Mike Pyro.” Scott would routinely communicate with women in and around the Tidewater area to set up “sex parties,” where the women would work as prostitutes and Scott would pay them for their services. In reality, Scott would not pay them and sometimes would extort the women by threatening to publish sexually explicit videos. In addition to the adult parties, Scott was found to be conspiring with and producing child pornography with several different women, including Halsey. Law enforcement found that, when discussing the sex parties, sometimes Scott would request these women to produce child pornography and was very specific as to the sex acts he wanted done on camera. Halsey complied in return for the promise of money. Specifically, Halsey produced child pornography on several occasions with a one year old and a five year old. Halsey also obstructed justice by deleting electronic evidence at the behest of Scott after he was arrested in the Fall of 2013.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.