Todd Fleming, Child Exploitation, Sherman TX, 2023

SHERMAN, TX – Todd Fleming, a 53-year-old photographer from McKinney, Texas, is facing a potential lifetime behind bars after being indicted on horrific charges of child exploitation. The Eastern District of Texas unsealed an indictment today detailing allegations that Fleming systematically abused vulnerable minors for years.

Fleming was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 17, 2013, and formally charged with 24 counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possession of child pornography. The indictment alleges a disturbing pattern of behavior spanning from 1999 to 2007, where Fleming is accused of coercing or persuading minors into engaging in sexually explicit acts, all for the purpose of photographic exploitation.

His initial appearance took place in Tyler before Magistrate Judge John D. Love. While details of the hearing remain sealed, sources confirm Fleming was informed of the charges and his rights. The Department of Justice, through U.S. Attorney John M. Bales, is prosecuting the case with a clear message: those who prey on children will be brought to justice.

This case falls under the umbrella of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 aimed at dismantling networks of child sexual abuse and exploitation. The project, led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), actively coordinates federal, state, and local law enforcement to identify, apprehend, and prosecute offenders, and crucially, to rescue victims. More information on Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

If convicted on all counts, Fleming faces a minimum of 15 years in federal prison for each of the 24 exploitation charges, adding up to a potential 360-year sentence. The possession charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years. That means Fleming could spend the rest of his life incarcerated.

The investigation was a joint effort between the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (DHS-HSI) and the Texas Department of Public Safety – Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Kummerfeld is leading the prosecution. It’s crucial to remember that an indictment is not a declaration of guilt; Fleming is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. But the allegations are deeply disturbing, and the Grimy Times will continue to follow this case closely.