PEORIA, Ill. – Daniel A. Betty, 28, of Decatur, Illinois, will spend the next 22 years in federal prison after being sentenced yesterday for preying on a 14-year-old girl. U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid didn’t mince words, labeling Betty a predator who callously manipulated a vulnerable minor.
The sentence stems from Betty’s actions in September and October of 2019. Court documents reveal Betty used the social application ‘Spotafriend’ – a platform marketed toward teenagers aged 13-19 – to pose as a peer and target minors. He used the app to connect with the victim and solicit sexually explicit images, eventually arranging in-person meetings for sexual activity. ‘Spotafriend’ utilizes internet and cellular data to facilitate connections between users.
Betty formally pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of enticement of a minor, and one count of receipt of child pornography – charges initially outlined in an indictment handed down by a grand jury in January 2020. The guilty pleas were entered yesterday, sealing his fate.
Authorities apprehended Betty on December 16, 2019, and he has been held in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service ever since. The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Champaign Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, and the Decatur Police Department, with support from the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson led the prosecution. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating the escalating crisis of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project leverages the resources of federal, state, and local agencies to identify, apprehend, and prosecute offenders, and to rescue victims.
Project Safe Childhood, spearheaded by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), focuses on disrupting online exploitation networks. Information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on efforts to protect vulnerable children.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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