Steven W. Chase, Child Exploitation Enterprise, North Carolina 2015

Child Predator Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison

In a shocking case of child exploitation, Steven W. Chase, a Naples, Florida resident, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in operating the dark web website Playpen. The site, which was dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children, was taken down by federal authorities in 2015.

According to court documents, Playpen was a highly sophisticated online enterprise that allowed its users to share and view tens of thousands of postings relating to the sexual abuse of children as young as infants and toddlers. The site’s administrators and over 150,000 other members spent more than 4,000,000 hours on the site in just over six months.

Chase, who was convicted of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise and related charges, was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to forfeit his Naples residence from which he administered the site. Additionally, he was ordered to pay restitution to his victims.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina. The investigation resulted in over 350 U.S. arrests and 548 international arrests, the prosecution of 51 hands-on child sex abusers and 25 producers of child pornography, and the identification or rescue of 55 American children and 296 sexually abused children around the world.

The court’s decision to sentence Chase to 30 years in prison is a testament to the severity of the crime and the need for harsh penalties for those who prey on the most vulnerable members of society. The case highlights the importance of continued efforts to combat online child exploitation and to bring perpetrators to justice.

Cortney Randall and Benjamin Bain-Creed, two Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Western District of North Carolina, were recognized for their exemplary work on the case at the 34th Director’s Awards Ceremony. The ceremony was held in Washington D.C. and was attended by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director James Crowell, IV.

AUSA Randall received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Davidson College and her JD from Georgetown University Law Center. AUSA Bain-Creed received his Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Southern Mississippi and his JD from the University of Florida. He also holds a Master’s Degree in English from the University of Florida.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Sex Crimes

Michael Dewain Dugas Smith, Failure to Register as Sex Offender, Louisiana 2015

May 26, 2015

Sex Crimes

Trent Drexel Howard, Attempted Production of Child Pornography, Washington 2021

Sep 27, 2021

Sex Crimes

Sexual Harassment by Landlords, New Jersey 2023

May 1, 2020

Sex Crimes

Zachary Thomas Armstrong, Child Pornography Possession, Montana 2017

Jan 18, 2017