OPERATION KINGDOM CONQUEROR NETS 21 CONVICTIONS FOR CRIMES RELATED TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Thursday, January 7, 2016

International Operation Concludes in Montana; Convicts 21 Defendants of Child Pornography-Related Crimes

An international operation that led to the conviction of 21 defendants for child pornography-related crimes concluded today in the District of Montana.  These defendants were involved in the sexual exploitation of children via two international online bulletin boards where members advertised, distributed, viewed and received images depicting child sexual exploitation.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Michael W. Cotter of the District of Montana, Special Agent in Charge Eric Barnhart of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Division, Special Agent in Charge David A. Thompson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Denver Field Office and Division Administrator Bryan Lockerby of the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation made the announcement.

Operation Kingdom Conqueror began in 2011 when FBI agents and officers from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICACTF) received a tip that ultimately led to the discovery of Kingdom of Future Dreams (KOFD), an online bulletin board operated by Paul Wencewicz, 49, of Polson, Montana, that members used to advertise and trade sexually explicit images of young girls.  Between November 2009 and March 2012, Wencewicz and other members of the bulletin board sexually exploited hundreds of girls, both domestically and internationally, by trading images and videos of them.

The KOFD bulletin board was housed on a server in the Isle of Jersey.  Through cooperation with local police and British authorities, the United States obtained the boards’ data, allowing U.S. federal agents to identify 13 defendants in the United States in addition to Wencewicz and conduct searches in New Jersey, Maryland, Missouri, Indiana, Virginia, Washington, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Arizona, Texas and California.  This investigation revealed that eight of the 14 KOFD defendants were also members of a second child exploitation bulletin board called the Dark Moon, which involved a highly complex encryption scheme.  After gaining access to the board in April 2013, agents identified additional members.

Today, the final defendant, Shawnston Beaudoin, 31, of Kennesaw, Georgia, was sentenced to 210 months in prison and lifetime supervised release.  Beaudoin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography on Sept. 30, 2015.  In connection with his plea, Beaudoin admitted that he became an active member of Dark Moon in October 2012 and remained an advanced member of the board until April 2013.  During that time, he posted hyperlinks and preview images of child exploitation to the advanced member section of the board.  Beaudoin also requested child pornography from other members and responded to and commented on other members’ postings.  Chief U.S. District Court Judge Dana Christensen of the District of Montana presided over the sentencing.

“The predators on these illicit websites glorified the sexual assault of little girls and encouraged each other to share images of this terrible abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.  “For the victim children, this trauma lasts the rest of their lives.  Thanks to the great partnership among federal, state and local law enforcement, these criminals will be punished for their vile crimes and prevented from harming other children.”

“This collaboration of federal and state law enforcement agencies demonstrates the power of the ICACTF and the concerted strength we can bring to bear against these types of child predators when we combine forces,” said U.S. Attorney Cotter.  “These operations succeeded in bringing to justice a group of dangerous and sadistic individuals, some of whom had committed prior sex offenses against children.  As a result of the operations, one threat against Montana’s children—and children everywhere—has been dismantled.  We will continue this successful collaboration and our efforts to protect our children and our communities into the future.”

The FBI, ICE-HSI, the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), the Montana Department of Criminal Investigations, the Helena, Montana, Police Department and Montana ICACTF investigated the case.  CEOS Trial Attorney Maureen C. Cain and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson of the District of Montana prosecuted the case.  The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, 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.