United States of America v. Anika Bywter

Baltimore, Maryland, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with conspiracy to engage in illicit sexual contact in foreign places.

While living in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, Anika Bywater, 29, formerly of Gonzalez, Texas, and another person created two separate videos of themselves sexually abusing a young child. Law enforcement officers learned of the conduct when they discovered videos of the abuse circulating on the internet.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI Child Exploitation Operational Unit for its work in the investigation, and the FBI’s law enforcement attaché office in Mexico City and Washington Field Office for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema Sood and Acting Deputy Chief Kyle P. Reynolds, Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), who prosecuted the federal case.

The Defendant was found guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release.