Daniel Turner Widner, a 26-year-old from Roebuck, South Carolina, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for the distribution of child sexual abuse material.
The sentencing followed evidence presented at the hearing which showed that Widner moderated an online chat group dedicated to trading child sexual abuse materials. An undercover officer, posing as an 11-year-old girl, infiltrated the group where Widner sent multiple illicit images. Widner, under the misconception that he was interacting with a minor, solicited the undercover officer to be his girlfriend and asked for compromising photographs.
Authorities traced the activities back to Widner's residence and executed a search warrant. The operation revealed over 80,000 images of child sexual abuse material on Widner's electronic devices.
Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Cain sentenced Widner to a 15-year prison term with lifetime supervised release. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Investigations, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Watkins.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide effort aiming to protect children from online exploitation and abuse by coordinating federal, state, and local resources to tackle child exploitation online. For further information, the initiative is detailed at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
"NOTE: The term 'child pornography' is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, 'child sexual abuse material' is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child. The Associated Press Stylebook also discourages the use of the phrase 'child pornography.'"