Child Pornography Sentences Handed Down for Columbia and Burke County Men
Child Pornography suspects in Columbia and Burke Counties were sentenced in separate cases today in U.S. District Court.
Hector Salazar Torres of Grovetown was sentenced to nearly 30 years after pleading guilty to Production of Child Pornography. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Torres to pay $9,600 in restitution and assessments, to register as a sex offender, and to serve 20 years of supervised release after his prison term has been completed. There is no parole in the federal system.
Grovetown police were investigating the reported sexual assault of a child when they seized Torres’ cell phone. That’s where they found dozens of images and videos of child sexual abuse, including a video of a toddler.
Torres also faces state prosecution on child molestation charges involving victims unrelated to the federal case.
“Child victims are subjected to endless trauma each time their images are shared online. We applaud the vigilance of our law enforcement partners in identifying these predators for the protection of our most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg.
Burke County Child Pornography Case
Kadarion Davonte Ellison of Waynesboro was sentenced today to more than 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court to Distribution of Child Pornography.
U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Ellison to pay $60,000 in restitution to victims identified during the investigation, register as a sex offender and to serve 20 years of supervised release when he completes his prison term.
Ellison worked as a patient care technician at an Augusta hospital at the time of the investigation.
Agents from Homeland Security Investigations detected child sexual abuse material being transferred via an internet application. With help from Waynesboro Police, investigators determined Ellison was purchasing and distributing child pornography online. Investigators also seized multiple electronic devices from Ellison’s home that contained thousands of videos and images of child sexual abuse material.
If You Have Information on Suspected Child Sexual Exploitation:
Contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678 or https://report.cybertip.org.
