Frank Richard Beyer, Child Pornography, Florida 2020

A former elementary school principal in Florida has been sentenced to 97 months in prison for possessing child pornography.

Frank Richard Beyer, 75, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was sentenced to 97 months in prison for possessing child pornography that included images of boys under age 12 engaged in sex acts and exposing their genitals.

According to court records, law enforcement received multiple cyber tips that an on-line user had uploaded child pornography to internet platforms. The cybertips included an email address that led law enforcement officers to Beyer. On November 20, 2019, officers executed a search warrant at Beyer’s home. They found external digital storage devices that contained multiple pictures and videos of children (some under age 12) engaging in explicit sexual conduct with other children or adults.

Law enforcement later forensically examined Beyer’s devices, finding almost 4,000 pictures and over 1,200 videos of child pornography. They also discovered that Beyer communicated with at least one person on an encrypted chat program and distributed child pornography to that person.

On March 5, 2020, Beyer pled guilty to possessing child pornography. U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, Broward County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ajay Alexander prosecuted this case.

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

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/former-elementary-school-principal-sentenced-97-months-prison-possessing-child