Timothy Edward McDermott, Child Pornography, Florida 2014

Child predator Timothy Edward McDermott, 60, of Palm Coast, Florida, has been indicted for his role in receiving and possessing child pornography, officials announced yesterday.

According to court documents, McDermott was arrested on August 25, 2014, at his residence in Palm Coast, after being accused of downloading and storing child pornography on his computer. The charges against McDermott include two counts of receiving child pornography over the internet and one count of possessing child pornography.

If convicted, McDermott faces a minimum mandatory sentence of not less than 5 years and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a potential life term of supervised release for each of the receipt counts. For the possession count, McDermott faces a maximum term of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a potential life term of supervised release.

The case against McDermott was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Dallas, Daytona Beach, and Jacksonville, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wheaton (Illinois) Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

McDermott’s case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilant law enforcement and prosecution efforts in protecting our children from exploitation and abuse. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it unfolds in the courts.

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