DETROIT — A shocking case of depravity has left the youth gymnastics community reeling. David Eric Yellen, a 59-year-old photographer from Royal Oak, Michigan, pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography in federal district court.
U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison joined forces with Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to announce the guilty plea. This disturbing case came to light when the FBI discovered that Yellen was sharing images of child pornography online using peer-to-peer file-sharing software.
But that’s not all – the FBI investigation revealed that Yellen had a history of working as a photographer and videographer at multiple youth female gymnastics events in the past few years. When authorities searched Yellen’s home, they uncovered a stash of hundreds of child pornography files on his electronic devices. The investigation also turned up a disturbing cache of at least 200 photographs of the bare feet of the children who attended the gyms and gymnastic events where Yellen worked.
“Yellen’s child pornography conduct was aggravated because of his position of trust in the gymnastics community with youth gymnasts and their parents,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “My office will continue to make the prosecution of child pornography crimes a top priority in order to keep our community and our children safe.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson added, “Yellen, a well-known figure in the Michigan gymnastic community, was found to be distributing child sex abuse material and to have other questionable photos on his devices directly involving some of the gymnasts he worked alongside. Adults who work with and around our children are entrusted with the highest level of trust, and Yellen’s conduct demonstrated his disregard for their protection.”
Yellen will face a sentence of between five and 20 years in prison, followed by a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, with the case prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Rawsthorne, Ann Nee, and Sarah Alsaden.
Related Federal Cases
- Gymnastics Coach Exposed: Royal Oak Man Guilty of Distributing Child Pornography · Michigan
- Michigan Man Charged with Attempting to Entice 11-Year-Old in Sick Online Grooming Sting · Michigan
- Child Porn Possession Lands Prisoner 10 More Years · Pennsylvania
- Michigan Orthodontist Gets 60 Years for Exploiting Teens · North Carolina
- Michigan Orthodontist Gets 60 Years for Child Sex Crimes · North Carolina
Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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