A 28-year-old Florida man was sentenced late last week in West Palm Beach federal court to 25 years in prison for enticing poor children in the Philippines to send him pornographic images of themselves in exchange for money and other child exploitation crimes, some of which involved toddlers.
Dennis Pollard, Pahokee, Florida, used a social media messenger application in 2020 to find young girls in the Philippines whom he could groom for the purpose of producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Pollard offered, and sometimes provided, money through wire services in exchange for pornographic images of the girls.
Over nearly six weeks, Pollard convinced a 13-year-old girl, living in poverty, to record herself performing sexual acts in exchange for money. Pollard also directed a woman in the Philippines to record herself sexually abusing her two toddler-aged children.
Pollard distributed CSAM of his victims to groom others and obtain more CSAM. In 2015, Pollard attempted to produce CSAM through a different account on the same social media messenger application. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s (PBSO) Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed a search warrant at Pollard’s Pahokee residence.
Pollard was found to have dozens of child sexual abuse images and videos on his phone, as well as on CDs that he had possessed for nearly a decade.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg.
HSI Miami’s West Palm Beach Office investigated the case, with assistance from the PBSO and the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller prosecuted the case.
Visit Tampafp.com for Politics, Tampa Area Local News, Sports, and National Headlines. Support journalism by clicking here to our GoFundMe or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.
Android Users, Click Here To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook Here Or Twitter Here.