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By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
ORLANDO, FL – An Orlando man was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for producing, distributing, and possessing child sexual abuse material on the internet through his smartphone.
U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron on Dec. 15 also ordered Todd Engles, 33 to serve a 15-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and forfeit his phone.
Here is a synopsis of the crimes committed by Engles, who pleaded guilty back on Sept. 8, according to court documents and evidence presented during the sentencing hearing:
Engles posed as a 15-year-old boy and contacted multiple young girls (usually between the ages of 9 and 13) on social media applications. Using this persona, Engles persuaded and enticed the child victims to engage in sexual conduct via live video streams and video recordings.
Engles also participated in chat rooms dedicated to the sharing of child sexual abuse material and rape, where he often bragged about and instructed others on how to exploit young girls via the internet.
During these chats, Engles distributed numerous videos and images of children, as young as infants, being sexually abused, and expressed in detail his desire to drug and rape children.
Todd Engles (who is shown here and above) posed as a 15-year-old boy and contacted multiple young girls (usually between the ages of 9 & 13) on social media apps. Using this persona, Engles persuaded and enticed the young victims to engage in sexual conduct via live video streams & video recordings. Engles also participated in chat rooms dedicated to the sharing of child sexual abuse material and rape, where he often bragged about and instructed others on how to exploit young girls via the internet. During these chats, Engles distributed numerous videos and images of children, as young as infants, being sexually abused, and expressed in detail his desire to drug and rape children.
Authorities conducted a forensic review of Engle's smartphone and discovered more than 455 images and 148 videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants, toddlers, and prepubescent and pubescent children.
This case against was investigated by the Orlando Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington of Florida's Middle District.
FAST FACTS: This is another case 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.justice.gov/psc.
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008, that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed close to 150 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. • Award-Winning Journalism: Florida Press Club recognizes Headline Surfer for nine stories in 2020 statewide competition. • Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.