Joshua Adam Tatro, Child Pornography, Florida 2017

Merritt Island Man Sentenced to 350 Years for Child Pornography

ORLANDO, FL - Joshua Adam Tatro, a 24-year-old man from Merritt Island, has been sentenced to 350 years in federal prison for producing, receiving, and possessing child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. handed down the sentence on July 6, 2016. Tatro was found guilty of nine counts of producing child pornography, three counts of receiving child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography.

The crimes were committed between October 2014 and March 2015, during which time Tatro produced images and videos depicting him sexually abusing a three-year-old child. He also used a messaging app on his phone to send and receive images depicting child pornography and uploaded images of child pornography onto an online account that he maintained.

Law enforcement began investigating Tatro after they learned of his online activity from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. On March 17, 2015, agents from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Tatro’s residence, where he and the child victim were living. A forensic examination of cell phones recovered from Tatro’s pocket and bedroom led to the recovery of explicit images and videos that Tatro had produced.

Tatro admitted to producing the images and videos, and to sending them to others using the messenger app. In total, Tatro possessed 76 videos and 692 photographs of child pornography on his cell phones. A search of his online drive account revealed more than 1,000 stored images of child pornography.

“This predator will spend the rest of his life behind bars, where he can no longer harm children,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “The dedicated work of HSI special agents and our Brevard County Sheriff’s Office partners have made our communities a safer place.”

Tatro must also forfeit the electronic devices that he used during the commission of the offenses. The case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

Tatro is a resident of Merritt Island, Florida. The exact criminal charges against Tatro include nine counts of producing child pornography, three counts of receiving child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography. This case is a stark reminder of the severity of child sex crimes and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.

Joshua Adam Tatro, defendant/respondent real full name, was found guilty of the above-mentioned charges. The sentence or outcome of this case is 350 years in federal prison. The crime date is October 2014 to March 2015. The exact date of sentencing is July 6, 2016. There are no dollar amounts mentioned in this case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/merritt-island-man-sentenced-350-years-multiple-federal-child-pornography-offenses