A Reminder of Delawares ONLINE CHILD PREDATORS: David Osborn, 40, from New Castle, Delaware James Powell, 49, of Bridgeville, Delaware

THE POWELL CASE:

James Powell, 49, of Bridgeville, Delaware, was sentenced on October 1st, 2013, to 10 years in prison on federal charges of traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and possession of child pornography.

Judge Reggie B. Walton

Powell pled guilty to the charges in April 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. Powell was convicted in Prince George’s County, Maryland in 1997 of third-degree sexual abuse in a case that involved a child and was therefore subject to a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence. Following completion of his prison term, Powell will be placed on 20 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for 25 years after his prison term.

According to the government’s evidence, on September 10th, 2012, Powell contacted an undercover officer with the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, who had entered a social network site frequented by individuals with a sexual interest in children. Over the next few days, Powell engaged in online e-mail, instant message, and text message conversations with the undercover officer, whom Powell believed was the father of an underaged girl. During this period of time, Powell arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child. During the course of their communications, Powell also sent the undercover officers two images of child pornography.

On September 12th, 2012, Powell traveled from Delaware to a prearranged meeting place in Washington, D.C. When he arrived at the meeting place, he was arrested. He has been in custody ever since. (Well done, off the streets)

THE OSBORN CASE

David Osborn, 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews in the District of Delaware.

Judge Richard G. Andrews

According to statements made at the hearing and documents filed in court, Osborn was identified by the FBI through reports of child pornography trafficking provided by AOL LLC to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Under federal law, Internet service providers, such as AOL, are required to report suspected child pornography being transmitted over their servers to NCMEC, which then directs these “cybertips” to the appropriate law enforcement agency. AOL reported that a particular online username, later linked to Osborn, had been used to trade images of child pornography with another computer user in South Florida.

On May 26th, 2011, federal agents executed a search warrant at Osborn’s New Castle residence and arrested Osborn after finding more than 700 images of child pornography on his computer equipment. Law enforcement agents also searched Osborn’s e-mail account, which was found to contain numerous images of child pornography. Osborn’s child pornography collection included images of girls, ranging from prepubescence to mid-teenage, engaged in various sexual acts or posing lasciviously. Forensic data found on the equipment indicated that Osborn had been receiving and distributing images of child pornography for a number of years. Also found on Osborn’s computer equipment were more than 500 Internet chat logs between Osborn and others regarding child sexual exploitation.

According to information provided at court hearings, in the past, Osborn worked as a school bus driver, substitute teacher, and with the Newport, Delaware chapter of Job’s Daughters, a youth organization for girls.

At sentencing, Osborn faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Osborn also faces a term of supervised release following his prison sentence of five years to life, and will be required to register as a sex offender in any jurisdiction in which he lives, works, or attends school. Osborn has been detained since his May 26th, 2011 arrest.