Nicholas E. Fogarty, 36, of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was found guilty today on federal charges of advertising and distributing child pornography, following a harrowing day-and-a-half trial in U.S. District Court in Pensacola. The conviction marks a critical win in a growing crackdown on online predators exploiting children through encrypted platforms and the dark web.
Fogarty created and operated a Kik group called ‘Tweenteenlove’—a name as sinister as its purpose—where he actively shared and solicited child pornography. Beginning in June 2017, undercover investigators infiltrated the group, posing as a minor female. They quickly identified Fogarty as a ringleader who instructed others to recruit young girls and circulate explicit content. He didn’t just consume the material—he weaponized it, directing others into the digital abyss of abuse.
During the investigation, Fogarty communicated directly with the undercover agent, brazenly guiding them to dark web portals where child pornography thrives in encrypted silence. When federal agents arrested him in southern Florida, they seized his electronic devices and uncovered a digital archive of horror: between 4,000 and 5,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse. Also found was a configured browser specifically for accessing the dark web—an admission by action.
Fogarty now faces the full wrath of federal sentencing. For the charge of advertising child pornography, he is subject to a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. On the distribution charge, he faces a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 20. Sentencing is set for June 8, 2018, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, where the weight of his crimes will be measured in decades behind bars.
The case was a joint operation involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Boynton Beach Police Department, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. These agencies continue to dismantle networks of online predators, one conviction at a time. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg prosecuted the case with relentless focus.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, led by Christopher P. Canova, emphasized that digital footprints do not vanish—they convict. Fogarty’s belief in online anonymity died the moment he typed his first command into Kik. This case stands as a warning: the dark web isn’t beyond reach. The feds are in it, hunting, and they’re dragging predators like Fogarty into the light.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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