DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL HONORS TEAM IN INTERNET PORNOGRAPHY CASE AND ANNOUNCES $50 MILLION IN RECOVERY ACT AWARDS

WASHINGTON – Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden announced Thursday that the Department of Justice is awarding $50 million in Recovery Act funds to the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) program. The Deputy Attorney General made the announcement during the Department's annual Missing Children's Day ceremony where he also honored the recipients of the Attorney General's Special Commendation Award for their significant contribution to the ICAC Task Force program.

"We all owe a debt to these honorees and to the countless others who tirelessly work to protect children against sexual victimization," Deputy Attorney General Ogden said. "The Department of Justice will continue to actively pursue all predators who target our most vulnerable, which is why I'm so pleased to announce these dedicated funds from the Recovery Act to advance these crucial efforts of our ICAC Task Forces."

Five individuals jointly received the Attorney General's Special Commendation Award for their successful prosecution of a 35-year-old Florida swim coach who downloaded and distributed child pornography and had sexual contact with at least five of the boys he coached. The individuals are:

• Recipient: Detective Jennifer Montgomery, Broward County Sheriff's Office; who reviewed the Cybertip information and images and determined that they were pornographic depictions of male children. She then interviewed, along with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, the suspect and investigated the images on the suspect's computer.
• Recipient: Special Agent Mike Bentolila, ICE, interviewed the suspect and found more than 45 pornographic images of child pornography on his computer.
• Recipients: Special Agents Alexis Carpinteri and Michael D. Leverock of the FBI reviewed the information and obtained forensic findings of pornographic images of children and then arranged for a second interview of the suspect, which led to a polygraph exam. The accused admitted during the polygraph to downloading, possessing and sharing hundreds of child pornography images and movies for years.
• Recipient: Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Tantillo filed a complaint in federal court where the accused pleaded guilty to transporting child pornography in March 2009.

In addition to the Attorney General's Commendation Award recipients, the Deputy Attorney General also recognized three other award winners for their efforts in protecting children; and recognized Dakhota-Rae Brown, a fifth grader from Henderson Elementary in Cheyenne, Wyo., who was selected as the 10th Annual National Missing Children's Day Poster Contest winner.

The Office of Justice Programs, headed by Acting Assistant Attorney General Laurie O. Robinson, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has five component bureaus: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the Office for Victims of Crime. Additionally, OJP has two program offices: the Community Capacity Development Office, which incorporates the Weed and Seed strategy, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART). More information can be found at https://ojp.gov.

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