Date: 10-17-2014

Case Style: United States of America v. Michael Pankey

Case Number: 5:14-cr-50015-TLB

Judge: Timothy L. Brooks

Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas (Washington County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Dustin Roberts

Defendant's Attorney: John B. Schisler - FPD

Description: Fayetteville, Arkansas - Michael Pankey, age 45, of Springdale, was sentenced today to 97 months in federal prison without the possibility of parole and ten years of supervised release for Knowing Receipt of Images of Child Pornography. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.

U.S. Attorney Eldridge stated, “With today’s sentence, justice has been served on behalf of these kids. Every time a video or image involving sexual abuse of children is downloaded or viewed, those children are re-victimized. We will continue to aggressively prosecute cases such as this and hold those who commit crimes involving children accountable for their actions.”

According to court documents, in November, 2013, Homeland Security Investigations and Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce were notified that an individual in the Northwest Arkansas area using the screen name of “Pankster87” posted multiple images of child pornography to a publically available internet site. A subsequent investigation led to the execution of a federal search warrant on the Fayetteville home of the defendant, Michael Pankey. At that time, agents seized an Apple IPhone, which Pankey admitted he had used to trade and download child pornography. A forensic examination revealed over 100 images of child pornography. Pankey pleaded guilty to the charge on May 12, 2014. At sentencing, the Government presented the Court with information that Pankey possessed multiple images of minors, some as young as four-years-old, being sexually assaulted by adults.

“Individuals who engage in the trade of child pornography online steal the innocence of children and potentially destroy lives,” said HSI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Raymond R. Parmer Jr. "This case shows HSI investigators are actively working to identity and disrupt the trade of these illegal images, and also to identify and seek prosecution of the criminals who produce and possess them.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce of Northwest Arkansas, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and their Criminal Division Child Exploitation and Obscenity Sections (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Outcome: See above

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments: