Jonathon Sudduth Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Advertise Child Pornography

WASHINGTON—Jonathon Sudduth, of Springfield, Illinois, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips in Los Angeles to 22 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for conspiracy to advertise child pornography, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney André Birotte, Jr. for the Central District of California; and Assistant Director in Charge Steve Martinez of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.

Sudduth, 22, pleaded guilty in March 2011 to one count of conspiracy to advertise child pornography. Today’s sentencing is the result of an international investigation into the “Lost Boy” online bulletin board. Federal authorities, working in conjunction with a coalition of international law enforcement agencies, shut down the Lost Boy bulletin board approximately three years ago. As a result of the investigation, 16 named defendants have been charged in the United States for their roles in the ring. To date, 15 defendants have pleaded guilty or been found guilty after trial and one defendant died in custody.

According to court documents and proceedings, law enforcement authorities discovered the Lost Boy bulletin board after receiving information from Eurojust, the judicial cooperation arm of the European Union. Eurojust provided U.S. law enforcement with leads obtained from Norwegian and Italian authorities indicating that a North Hollywood, California man was communicating with an Italian national about child pornography and how to engage in child sex tourism in Romania. Acting on the information from Europe, the FBI executed search warrants that led to the discovery of the Lost Boy network. Further investigation revealed that Lost Boy had 35 members, 16 of whom were U.S. nationals. Other members of the network were located in countries around the world, including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

The Lost Boy bulletin board, according to court documents and proceedings, was dedicated to men who have a sexual interest in young boys and was established to provide a forum to trade child pornography. Lost Boy had a thorough vetting process for new members, who had to post child pornography to join the organization. Once accepted, members had to continue to post child pornography to remain in good standing and not be removed from the board. According to court documents, Lost Boy members advised each other on techniques to evade detection by law enforcement, which included using screen names to mask identities and encrypting computer data.

Through the Lost Boy investigation and related investigations, law enforcement authorities in the United States identified and arrested 16 Lost Boy members, as well as approximately six more men who have been charged with child molestation. The investigation also led to the identification of 27 domestic victims of child abuse, some of whom were portrayed in images posted to the Lost Boy bulletin board.

International law enforcement efforts involving European law enforcement, the Brazilian Federal Police, and other agencies have identified child molestation suspects in South America, Europe, and New Zealand. Three suspects in Romania, one in France, and another in Brazil have been charged, and offenders have been convicted in Norway and the United Kingdom. Law enforcement efforts have also identified dozens of child victims located in Norway, Romania, Brazil, and other nations.

The investigation into the Lost Boy bulletin board was led by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, in conjunction with the Los Angeles-based Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Team. The High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), along with Eurojust, have provided invaluable assistance during the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joey L. Blanch and Yvonne Garcia, and CEOS Trial Attorney Andrew McCormack.

http://www.fbi.gov/losangeles/press-releases/2012/illinois-man-sentenced-to-22-years-in-prison-for-conspiracy-to-advertise-child-pornography