The Justice Department Wednesday announced the results of Operation Grayskull, a sweeping joint investigation with the FBI that shut down four dark web sites trafficking in child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
So far, 18 individuals have been convicted, collectively receiving more than 300 years in prison. Among them: a Minnesota man sentenced yesterday to 250 months behind bars, lifetime supervised release, and ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution for his role in operating one of the sites.
The operation represents a significant blow to online child exploitation networks and a continued commitment by federal authorities to track, expose, and prosecute those who traffic in abuse and exploitation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
As part of Operation Grayskull, Thomas Peter Katsampes, 52, of Eagan, Minnesota, pleaded guilty on Feb. 27 to conspiracy to advertise and distribute child pornography. He joined a dark website in 2022, posted and shared CSAM—some involving prepubescent children—and rose to a staff role, helping moderate content, enforce posting rules, and guide users in evading detection.
In total, eight individuals were sentenced in the Southern District of Florida for running the primary site. Sentences ranged from 23 years to life, including:
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William Spearman (Madison, AL): Life in prison for running a child exploitation enterprise.
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Joseph Martin (Tahuya, WA): 42 years.
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Matthew Garrell (Raleigh, NC): Nearly 21 years.
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Gregory Good (Silver Springs, NV): Nearly 26 years.
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Selwyn Rosenstein (Boynton Beach, FL): 28 years.
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Robert Boyles (Clarksville, TN): 23 years, 4 months.
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Joseph Stewart (Milton, WA): 23 years, 9 months.
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Keith McIntosh (Grand Rapids, MI): 55 years, enhanced due to a prior CSAM conviction.
These leaders operated one of the most extreme child exploitation networks on the dark web — featuring content involving infants, sadism, and torture. They enforced community “rules,” held staff meetings, moderated content, tracked user posts, and offered guides to evade law enforcement.
The FBI shut down four dark websites, with nine additional U.S. offenders convicted in other districts:
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Charles Hand (MD): 14 years
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Michael Ibarra (WA): 12 years
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Clay Trimble (AR): 18 years
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David Craig (TX): 9 years
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Robert Rella (VA): 5 years, 8 months
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Samuel Hicks (IN): 16 years
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Richard Smith (TX): 14 years
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Patrick Harrison (MI): 5 years, 10 months
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Thomas Gailus (OK): Sentencing pending
Two additional U.S. suspects died before indictment. The investigation also led to arrests in the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Estonia, Belgium, and South Africa.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and Miami Field Office.