LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A Nevada man is considered one of 18 convicted to this point in a sweeping federal prosecution of individuals linked to darkish websites devoted to photographs and movies containing baby sexual abuse materials.
The U.S. Division of Justice on Wednesday launched an inventory of convictions obtained to this point in “Operation Grayskull,” a joint effort with the FBI to dismantle 4 darkish websites. A Minnesota man was sentenced Tuesday to 250 months in jail and lifelong supervised launch, plus a requirement to pay $23,000 in restitution.
The record revealed Silver Springs, Nevada, resident Gregory Malcolm Good was sentenced to 25 years in jail on responsible pleas to prices of conspiracy to promote baby pornography and conspiracy to distribute baby pornography. Good was additionally ordered to pay $93,000 in restitution to victims. He was sentenced on Aug. 22, 2023.
Silver Springs is a city of about 5,000 individuals alongside U.S. 50 in Lyon County. It is about 400 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
Good acquired the fifth-longest jail time period among the many 18 males who’ve been convicted.
The longest sentence: William Michael Spearman of Madison, Alabama, was sentenced to life in jail and ordered to pay $123,000 in restitution. He pleaded responsible to partaking in a toddler exploitation enterprise and was sentenced on Jan. 23, 2024.
Tuesday’s sentencing of Thomas Peter Katsampes of Eagan, Minnesota, introduced particulars of the scope of the investigation and the names of all these convicted to this point.
The 4 web sites have been a number of the most egregious on the darkish internet, in response to a DOJ information launch. The websites included sections particularly devoted to infants and toddlers, in addition to depictions of violence, sadism, and torture. The web sites additionally contained detailed recommendation on tips on how to keep away from detection by regulation enforcement.
“Thomas Peter Katsampes and his co-conspirators ran some of the darkweb’s most heinous networks, enabling horrific crimes against innocent victims, but Operation Grayskull has shut these sites down and delivered justice,” U.S. Lawyer Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, mentioned.
“We applaud the FBI and our international partners for their tireless work, and let this be a clear warning: we will relentlessly pursue and prosecute anyone engaged in such atrocities, no matter how they attempt to cover their tracks,” O’Byrne mentioned.
Operation Grayskull convictions within the Southern District of Florida embrace Katsampes, Good, and eight others:
Selwyn David Rosenstein of Boynton Seaside, Florida. Pleaded responsible to conspiracy to promote baby pornography, 5 counts of commercial of kid pornography, and possession of kid pornography. Sentenced on Dec. 12, 2022, to twenty-eight years in jail and ordered to pay $80,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Matthew Branden Garrell of Raleigh, North Carolina. Pleaded responsible to conspiracy to promote baby pornography and conspiracy to distribute baby pornography. Sentenced on Aug. 1, 2023, to twenty years and 10 months in jail and ordered to pay $158,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Robert Preston Boyles of Clarksville, Tennessee. Pleaded responsible to conspiracy to promote baby pornography and conspiracy to distribute baby pornography. Sentenced on Aug. 15, 2023, to 23 years and 4 months in jail and ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Gregory Malcolm Good of Silver Springs, Nevada. Pleaded responsible to conspiracy to promote baby pornography and conspiracy to distribute baby pornography. Sentenced on Aug. 22, 2023, to 25 years and 10 months in jail and ordered to pay $93,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
William Michael Spearman of Madison, Alabama. Pleaded responsible to partaking in a toddler exploitation enterprise. Sentenced on Jan. 23, 2024, to life in jail and ordered to pay $123,400 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Joseph Addison Martin of Tahuya, Washington. Pleaded responsible to partaking in a toddler exploitation enterprise. Sentenced on April 18, 2024, to 42 years in jail and ordered to pay $174,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Joseph Robert Stewart of Milton, Washington. Pleaded responsible to conspiracy to promote baby pornography and conspiracy to distribute baby pornography. Sentenced on April 18, 2024, to 23 years and 9 months in jail and ordered to pay $19,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Keith David McIntosh of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Pleaded responsible to conspiracy to promote baby pornography and conspiracy to distribute baby pornography, each as an individual with a previous conviction for possession of kid pornography. Sentenced on Dec. 19, 2024, to 55 years in jail.
Thomas Peter Katsampes of Eagan, Minnesota. Pleaded responsible to conspiracy to promote and conspiracy to distribute baby pornography on Feb. 27. Sentenced on July 22 to 250 months in jail and lifelong supervised launch, plus a requirement to pay $23,000 in restitution.
In different judicial districts across the nation, 9 further people have been convicted for his or her involvement with these web sites, together with the next:
Charles Hand, of Aberdeen, Maryland, was prosecuted within the District of Maryland and was sentenced to 14 years in federal jail.
Michael Ibarra, of Wenatchee, Washington, was prosecuted within the Jap District of Washington and was sentenced to 12 years in jail.
Clay Trimble, of Fordyce, Arkansas, was prosecuted within the Jap District of Arkansas and was sentenced to 18 years in jail.
David Craig, of Houston, Texas, was prosecuted within the Southern District of Texas and was sentenced to 9 years in jail.
Robert Rella of Chesapeake, Virginia, was prosecuted within the Jap District of Virginia and was sentenced to 5 years and eight months in jail.
Samuel Hicks, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was prosecuted within the Northern District of Indiana and was sentenced to 16 years in jail.
Richard Smith of Dallas, Texas, was prosecuted within the Jap District of Texas and was sentenced to 14 years in jail.
Patrick Harrison, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was prosecuted within the Western District of Michigan and was sentenced to 5 years and ten months in jail.
Thomas Gailus, of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, was prosecuted within the Jap District of Oklahoma, and his sentencing is pending.
Two different people in the USA died earlier than being charged for his or her involvement with the web sites. The operation additionally resulted in arrests in the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Estonia, Belgium, and South Africa, in response to the DOJ information launch.
