FORT WORTH, TX – Michael Ansley Twing, 43, a registered sex offender, admitted this week to a horrifying crime: receiving child pornography. The plea comes after a Secret Service investigation revealed Twing wasn’t just a predator, but one who actively cultivated a false identity to get closer to potential victims.
Twing pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging receipt of child pornography before Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cureton on Wednesday. Court documents detail how Twing used the file-sharing program eMule – a digital haunt for illicit content – to download sexually explicit images of minor girls onto his laptop. He now faces a potential sentence of up to 40 years in federal prison.
The investigation took a disturbing turn when authorities discovered Twing was operating under the alias “Michael Krogen,” claiming to be a recruiter for a local university. While the university is cooperating and shows no evidence of wrongdoing, agents found a note on university letterhead in Twing’s bedroom, solidifying the deception. A roster of high school soccer players was also recovered, along with evidence that Twing actively solicited contact information for students from a coach.
This wasn’t just random online activity; Twing was actively building a facade to gain access. He’s described as a 6’2”, 195-pound white male with dark blonde hair, blue eyes, and glasses. The full extent of his predatory behavior is still under investigation, and authorities fear there may be more victims.
Prosecutors are urging anyone with information about potential inappropriate contact between Twing – also known as “Michael Krogen” and “Christopher Michael Crogen” – and minors at soccer tournaments or elsewhere to come forward. Crimestoppers can be reached at 817-469-TIPS (8477) or www.469TIPS.com. This case underscores the chilling reality that predators often hide in plain sight, exploiting trust and opportunity to harm vulnerable children.
The U.S. Secret Service’s Dallas Field Office spearheaded the investigation, receiving crucial support from the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Hurst Special Investigations Unit, the Fort Worth Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) and Sex Offender Investigations Units, the Grand Prairie Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Saleem is prosecuting the case. Twing’s sentencing is scheduled for October 21 before U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor in Fort Worth.
Related Federal Cases
- Jason Lewis Schwamberger, Possession of Child Pornography, Baltimor… · Maryland
- John Whittenburg, Child Pornography Collection, ME, 2023 · Maine
- Tommie Joseph Beason, Possession of Child Pornography, Lafayette LA… · Georgia
- Jason Ryan Bickham, Child Pornography, Beaumont TX, 2014 · Washington
- Trevion Lechay Ethridge, Producing Child Pornography, Beaumont TX, … · North Carolina
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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