VIRGINIA
A federal jury convicted a person involved in an international child exploitation conspiracy, which coerced and enticed minors into engaging in sexually explicit conduct on a web camera, according to officials.
The investigation, Operation Subterfuge, identified more than 300 minor victims and an estimated 1,600 minors were lured to the websites.
The jury convicted Brain K. Hendrix, 42, on Friday. Hendrix, of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, was charged by indictment on July 23.
Eight co-conspirators were charged in Virginia and two co-conspirators have been charged in foreign countries.
According to the evidence, co-conspirators created false profiles on social networking sites, such as YouTube, that portrayed them as young teenagers.
They used these profiles to lure children to the websites they controlled.
Once on the conspirators’ websites, the conspirators played pre-recorded videos of prior minor victims, often engaging in sexually explicit conduct, to make the new victims think that they were chatting with another minor.
Using these videos, the evidence indicated that conspirators coerced and enticed children to engage in sexually explicit activity on their own web cameras which the website automatically recorded.
Based on their contribution to the success of website objectives, conspirators earned points, which allowed them access to the sexually exploitative videos of children. Law enforcement agencies have disabled both websites, according to court records and evidence.
In addition to Hendrix, the conspirators have been convicted and sentenced as follows:
Anthony Evans, 54, of Grahamstown, South Africa
Plead guilty in South Africa and was sentenced to 10 years in prison on May 29. An extradition request remains pending.
William J. Morgan, 36, of Essex, New York
Plead guilty on June 26, 2015. Sentenced to 21 years in prison on Sept. 18.
Milton Smith Jr., 34, of Lorton, Virginia
Plead guilty on Aug. 14, 2015. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 22.
James E. Hancock, 45, of Thomasville, Georgia
Plead guilty on Dec. 29, 2015. Sentencing is scheduled for April 1.
Christopher McNevin, 37, of Carlisle, Ohio
Plead guilty on Aug. 21, 2015. Sentenced to 19 years in prison on Dec. 4.
Carl Zwengel, 51, of Princeton, Illinois
Plead guilty on July 10, 2015. Sentenced to 18 years in prison on Oct. 2.
Karlo Hitosis, 32, of Bronx, New York
Plead guilty on Oct. 30, 2015. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 5.
Stephen Funk, 35, of Milwaukee
Plead guilty on Dec. 18, 2015. Sentencing is scheduled for March 25.