GRIMY TIMES: In a chilling turn of events, former Tacoma resident and South Bend, Indiana dweller, SAMUEL PHILLIPS, 27, has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to the heinous crime of producing child pornography. The court was informed by U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran that Phillips faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years imprisonment when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle on December 7, 2020.
The harrowing details of the plea agreement reveal that in March 2018, Phillips was living with a child under the age of 5 in a Tacoma apartment where he recorded video evidence of sexual abuse. After relocating to Indiana early in 2019, the monstrous videos were discovered by his spouse on his phone, prompting an immediate arrest by South Bend Police. The local police then alerted the Tacoma Police Department, which led to Phillips being charged federally with production of child pornography on April 30, 2019. The defendant is also facing charges in state court for sexual abuse of the minor.
This monstrous act falls under the scope of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the escalating epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project, led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), coordinates efforts across federal, state, and local levels to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children online, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The investigation into this case was a collaborative effort led by the Tacoma Police Department and FBI, with significant support from the South Bend, Indiana, Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Angelica Williams is handling the prosecution of Phillips, ensuring that justice is served for the innocent child who suffered at his hands.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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