Tampa Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer

Man Sent to Prison for Secretly Making Child Porn

Jan 14, 2014 | Criminal Defense, Federal Crimes

A federal investigation that started in 2012 is finally over after an Orange County man was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison. A 31-year old man, Daniel Heffield, had been secretly videotaping girls while they used the bathroom at his mother’s home during their piano lessons. Heffield admitted to making over two dozen videos of the young girls; some girls were as young as four years old.

A 31-year old man from Orange County was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography. Daniel Heffield was first interviewed by agents in November 2012, after child pornography found on a computer in Maine was linked back to Orlando, Florida. The young girl in the pornography was later identified as a young girl who took piano lessons from Heffield’s mother in Orlando. Heffield had been living with his parents since 2012.

During Heffield’s initial interview he admitted to looking at child pornography for the past 15 years. Agents found more than 1,300 images of child pornography on Heffield’s computer and devices. Heffield later admitted that even after the FBI had searched his home in November 2012, he had continued to look at child pornography on computers outside his home. He told agents that he uploaded child pornography and also taught other people how to download these illegal images.

Once Heffield was arrested, he admitted he built a device to hold a camera and placed it in a bathroom drawer so he could secretly record the girls who came to his home for piano lessons. He had posted nine of the most graphic videos he recorded on the internet. However, he had recorded more than two dozen videos of his mother’s piano students.

Heffield was finally sentenced Tuesday after his sentencing hearing. During the hearing he apologized to the court for his actions. This apology came after a mother of two of the victims spoke out about the horrific experience. Heffield was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, followed by probation for life.

Source: Sun Sentinel, Man sent to prison for secretly making child porn of piano students, Amy Pavuk, January 14, 2014

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