ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Three men involved in an international online child pornography ring responsible for producing and sharing thousands of images and videos of child pornography were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. in a North Carolina court.
Dane William Anderson, 32, of Candler, N.C., was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in producing and possessing child pornography. Anderson, along with two other men, was part of a child pornography ring referred to as the “Rippernet” that produced child pornography through “capping,” a method of tricking victims into performing sexually explicit acts in front of webcams.
According to court documents, from 2002 through 2015, the three men were members of the Rippernet ring, which produced child pornography by creating false online personas of adolescent girls to lure teenage boys into performing sexually explicit acts. The ring’s members then captured the video to create new child pornography.
Anderson pleaded guilty to one count of production and one count of possession of child pornography. He is currently in the custody of the United States Marshal pending his designation to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The other two men, Samuel Heineman, IV, 54, of Marietta, Pennsylvania, and Mark Christopher Klein, 38, of Hugo, Minnesota, were also sentenced in connection with the child pornography ring. Heineman was sentenced to 21 years in prison, and Klein was sentenced to 16 years in prison. All three defendants were ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as sex offenders after they are released from prison.
The sentencing of the three men is a significant blow to the international child pornography ring, which was responsible for producing and sharing thousands of images and videos of child pornography. The case highlights the need for continued efforts to combat child exploitation and protect victims of child pornography.
The case was led by HSI, with assistance from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office. U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray thanked HSI for their efforts in bringing the case to justice.
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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