| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | ANGELA DODGE |
| MONDAY, JAN. 4, 2016 | PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER |
| http://www.justice.gov/usao/txs/ | (713) 567-9388 |
Sex Offender “Babysitter” Convicted of Producing Child Pornography
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 42-year-old resident of Aransas Pass has admitted to sexual exploitation of a child, otherwise known as production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Daniel Benson Billman appeared before Senior U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack in Corpus Christi and pleaded guilty to the charges.
At the hearing, Judge Jack heard that authorities had learned of a possible sexual assault involving a child in August 2015. The child was soon identified, confirmed the abuse and that Billman was the man who committed the crime.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Billman’s residence and seized several electronic media storage devices. Forensic examination led to the discovery of several images and videos of the child involved in sexual explicit conduct
Today, Billman admitted he sexually-assaulted the child and took explicit photographs and videos of the incident.
Billman and his girlfriend had placed an ad on craigslist offering babysitting services. The victim’s mother answered the ad and the girlfriend was supposed to care for the children. Instead, Billman sexually assaulted the seven-year-old girl in a hotel and in his girlfriend’s Ford Explorer. He also recorded the crime.
Judge Jack accepted the guilty plea today and set sentencing for March 17, 2016. At that time, Billman faces a minimum of 25 and up to 50 years in federal prison as well as possible $250,000 fine. Upon completion of any prison term imposed, Billman also faces a maximum of life on supervised release during which time the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect and prohibit the use of the Internet.
Billman was arrested on the federal charges in October 2015 and has been in custody since that time where he will remain pending his sentencing hearing.
The charges were the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Aransas Pass Police Department with the assistance of the Corpus Christi Police Department – Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo R. Martinez, 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. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Original post by Aransas Pass PD: https://police.aptx.gov/online-for-hire-babysitter-case-15-16892/
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