Six Area People Face Federal Child Pornography Charges

St. Louis, Missouri: John Dalzell and Joshua Watkins pled guilty and Charles Galaske, Donnell McCloud, Katroy Von Mathieu, and Crystal Davidson were indicted on charges of production, transportation, and possession of child pornography in separate cases, United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway announced today.

JOHN DALZELL, St. Louis, Missouri, pled guilty to one felony count of possession of child pornography on Tuesday, February 26. According to court documents, on May 30, 2007 a federal search warrant was executed at Dalzell's workplace based upon his subscription to a website that displayed child pornography, images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Dalzell admitted to agents that he purchased and viewed child pornography on the Internet and that he had child pornography images on his computer. He now faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000, when he is sentenced in May 2008.

JOSHUA NEAL WATKINS, Pevely, Missouri, pled guilty to one felony count of possession of child pornography on Tuesday, February 26. According to court documents, more than 600 images of child pornography were found on Watkins' computer in June 2007. Watkins admitted with his plea that the files belonged to him and that he had obtained the images over the Internet. Watkins now faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000, when he is sentenced in May 2008.

CHARLES GALASKE, St. Louis City, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two felony counts of transportation of child pornography and four felony counts of possession of child pornography. The indictment alleges that Galaske sent images of child pornography over the Internet from Missouri to Virginia in April 2005 and July 2007. Additionally, Galaske is charged in the indictment with possession of child pornography on four occasions between July and September 2007.

DONNELL McCLOUD, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of production of child pornography. The indictment alleges that he videotaped a minor engaged in sexually explicit contact.

CRYSTAL DAVIDSON, St. Charles, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of receipt of child pornography and one felony count of possession of child pornography. The indictment alleges that Davidson received and possessed child pornography in December 2006 and September 2007.

KATROY VON MATHIEU, Wentzville, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two felony counts of child pornography. The indictment alleges that Mathieu that possessed child pornography on his computer in October and November 2007.

Production of child pornography carries a penalty range of 15 to 30 years in prison; transportation of child pornography carries a penalty range of five to 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000; possession of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006 the Department of Justice launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

Hanaway commended the work performed on the case by the St. Charles County Sheriff's Department, the Washington County Sheriff's Department, St. Louis County and City Police Departments, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Regional Computer Crimes Education and Enforcement Group, and Assistant United States Attorneys Ray Meyer, Tiffany Becker and Carrie Costantin, who are handling these cases for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations, and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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