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Security Guard Sentenced for Possessing Child Pornography and Impersonating FBI Agent
Defendant Falsely Claimed that He Investigated Child Exploitation Cases
ATLANTA, GA - DOUGLAS YUTAKA RHOADES,
43, of Jonesboro, Georgia, was sentenced today by United States District
Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., to serve more than 5 years in prison
on charges of possessing child pornography and falsely impersonating
a federal agent.
"This defendant claimed to be an
FBI agent who investigated child pornography cases, but in reality
he was a security guard who collected child pornography," said
United States Attorney David E. Nahmias. "Through his lie of
being an FBI agent, he tried to trick others into entrusting the care
of their young children to him. Today's sentence is a just outcome
for a depraved man who tried to trade on the trust that the FBI has
built with the American people. This sentence also underscores the
harsh consequences for people who possess images of children being
sexually exploited and thereby support the creation of child pornography."
RHOADES was sentenced to 5 years, 3
months in prison to be followed by supervised release for the rest
of his life. RHOADES pleaded guilty to the charges on November 3,
2008.
According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented
in court: Beginning in January 2008, Clayton County Police were investigating
allegations of child molestation involving RHOADES. Witnesses informed
the police that RHOADES stated that he was a Special Agent of the
FBI assigned to the cyber crime unit. According to one witness, RHOADES
claimed to work on child pornography investigations. Clayton County
Police then contacted the FBI, who checked their records and determined
that RHOADES was not and had never been an FBI employee. When FBI
agents arrested RHOADES pursuant to a federal arrest warrant, they
found a fraudulent FBI badge and identification as well as numerous
computer discs with handwritten labels suggesting that they contained
child pornography. A federal judge issued a search warrant for RHOADES'
home and vehicle, and agents found discs containing approximately
800 images of prepubescent girls engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
In addition, the FBI located a video of a "wedding" between
RHOADES and a girl under the age of twelve along with written "wedding
vows" between RHOADES and the child. At the time of his arrest,
RHOADES was working as a security guard.
This case was brought as part of Project
Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project
Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children
from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's
Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal,
state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who
exploit children via the Internet. For more information about Project
Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Special
Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance
of the Clayton County Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul Jones prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-me-us), United States Attorney or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.
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