Todd Gets 19+ Years for Sickening Child Porn Collection

JACKSONVILLE, FL – John Dewey Todd, 61, of Fernandina Beach, Florida, will spend the next 19 years and 7 months behind bars for a depraved obsession with child pornography. U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis handed down the sentence today, along with a 10-year post-release supervision term and mandatory sex offender registration. Todd pleaded guilty to the offenses back on September 25, 2014, but the full scope of his crimes is only now being laid bare.

The nightmare began to unravel on November 15, 2013, when law enforcement agents raided Todd’s Fernandina Beach home. A federal search warrant turned up a sickening cache of electronic devices, and Todd quickly confessed to possessing “child pornography” on his computers, admitting to collecting it for “a couple of years.” Court evidence later revealed a far darker truth: Todd had been amassing this vile material for a full 15 years.

Fifty-one media discs, hidden in the attic, yielded at least 12,000 files of child pornography. This included 550 horrifying videos and a staggering 11,500 still images. Another 4,000 files were found on additional media. The collection wasn’t limited to passively obtained material. It contained graphic depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, along with disturbing portrayals of bondage, sadism, and masochism.

But the horror didn’t stop there. Police discovered five thumb drives tucked away in a jacket hanging in Todd’s closet. These drives contained four self-produced videos, showing Todd secretly recording the genitalia of prepubescent girls using the bathroom in his own home – a chilling demonstration of predatory behavior and a profound violation of innocence. This wasn’t simply collection; it was active creation of abuse material.

“This sentencing underscores the severity of crimes against our children,” stated Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “HSI will continue to direct our vast resources toward protecting the most vulnerable in our society.” The investigation was a joint effort by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase leading the prosecution.

This case was pursued under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the escalating epidemic of child sexual exploitation. The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute offenders, and to rescue victims. Information about Project Safe Childhood and internet safety resources can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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