An Arlington man now faces up to two decades behind bars, after admitting to downloading child pornography from the dark web.
Federal prosecutors say 39-year-old Jon T. Wilkins, a former commercial bank executive, pleaded guilty today (Friday) to one count of “receiving child pornography.” A judge could now sentence him to anywhere between five and 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors allege that FBI agents discovered that Wilkins was active on “Playpen,” a dark web forum specializing in child pornography, back in 2015.
They then tracked Wilkins’ IP address to his home in a Glebewood neighborhood, and secured search warrants for his property. Investigators then found dozens of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of preteen girls on computers belonging to Wilkins.
Prosecutors added in a news release that Wilkins “attempted to conceal his illegal behavior by utilizing Tor, a special web browser that permits access to the dark web while hiding browsing activity.” But agents still uncovered some of his browser history, according to an affidavit filed in federal court.
Wilkins is set for a sentencing hearing on April 5.
An Alexandria man who pleaded guilty to child pornography charges was sentenced today to 26 years in federal prison.
Skydance MacMahon, who worked as a Digital Media Administrator for the State Department in Arlington, conspired with a Canadian woman to “produce over a thousand sexually explicit images and videos of minor children in Canada,” federal prosecutors said. As previously reported, he did so in part using a work-issued cell phone.
The Arlington County Police Department and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office assisted in the case, as did Canadian authorities and various federal agencies.
More from the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia:
An Alexandria man was sentenced today to 26 years in prison for production of child pornography.
According to court documents, over at least a two year period, Skydance MacMahon, 45, conspired with an adult in Canada to produce over a thousand sexually explicit images and videos of minor children in Canada. These images and videos were produced at the direction of MacMahon using Skype and hidden cameras as well as overt recording. MacMahon distributed these image and video files to other users and consumers of child pornography by providing access to the files on his cloud storage services and also by directly sending the files to other users. In addition to the child pornography images and videos MacMahon himself created, he also received and possessed thousands of images and videos of child pornography.
During the time he committed these offenses, MacMahon was a Digital Media Administrator at the Foreign Services Institute of the U.S. Department of State in Arlington.
This case was brought as 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.justice.gov/psc.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Steve A. Linick, Inspector General for the Department of State, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Dougherty Russell prosecuted the case.
Significant assistance was provided by the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, the U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General’s Cyber Forensic Division, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Halifax Regional Police, Crown Prosecution Service, Special Prosecution Section, the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service, the Arlington County Police Department, and the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
An Arlington man has pleaded guilty to federal sex crime charges, admitting to downloading child pornography through a website on the “dark web.”
Ammar Atef Alahdali, a 22-year-old Saudi Arabian national living in Arlington, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography in federal court yesterday (Tuesday), according to a release from the Department of Justice.
Federal prosecutors say Alahdali used cryptocurrency to register on a dark web site, which could only be accessed via special software masking his IP address, back in April 2017.
They believe he then downloaded “more than 20 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including at least one video depicting sadistic sexual conduct” from the website over the subsequent months.
According to documents filed in federal court, federal agents searched Alahdali’s home in July, where they discovered evidence of child pornography on his laptop. He also admitted to downloading the pornography in an interview with federal agents.
Alahdali is currently being held in the Alexandria Detention Center and is set to be sentenced on Jan. 18.
Salvation Army leaders and state Sen. Dick Black (second from left) cut the ribbon on a new shelter.
Kyla Conlee, middle, explains how the new human trafficking shelter will work.
Maj. James Hall discusses the new shelter.
The Salvation Army is opening a new, 24-hour shelter for survivors of human trafficking, a resource the charity is billing as the first of its kind in the D.C. area.
Leaders with the group’s National Capital Area Command say they can’t reveal where, exactly, the new shelter is located in the region in order to protect the people they’re trying to serve. But they held a ribbon-cutting for the new facility all the same today (Wednesday) at the organization’s Arlington headquarters in Alcova Heights.
“This strikes at the heart of the core values of the Salvation Army,” said Maj. James Hall, the charity’s commander for the D.C. region. “We believe this is the best way we can make a difference on a transformative issue addressing injustice.”
Hall added that the entire effort is being paid for by private donations. He’d originally hoped to win grant funding for the shelter, but struck out on that front.
State Sen. Dick Black (R), who represents Prince William and Loudoun in the General Assembly, commended the effort as an essential one to deal with a “rapidly increasing problem” around the region.
He placed most of the blame for that trend on gang members crossing the Mexican border, which he believes has “literally become a torrent pouring into the country” even as data show net migration levels falling in recent years.
“Runaway children are so easily preyed upon by these people,” Black said.
Kyla Conlee, the shelter’s director, says the new facility will have about half a dozen staff members in all, with two “on call” at all times if someone who’s recently escaped a sex or labor trafficking situation needs help.
She says the shelter will have eight bedrooms, and will be open to both men and women looking for a place to stay. Conlee notes that the facility will only be able to house people for up to 10 days at a time, but her staff plans to work with a network of other charitable organizations to find a more permanent living situation during their stays.
“The most immediate need someone has coming out of a trafficking situation is: where am I going to sleep that first night?” said Stuart Allen, a federal prosecutor in D.C. “I can’t take them in. Law enforcement can’t take them in… But now, victims will have a place to go that first night they need those services.”
Conlee added that her staff will work with local emergency rooms to provide basic medical care for their clients, and even more advanced care for victims of sexual assault. She also wants to offer them the basics at the facility, like new clothes and food, and plans to rely on the community for donations.
Anyone interested in making a donation can drop off goods at the Salvation Army’s Arlington center at 518 S. Glebe Road.
Another Heat Advisory Today — “Heat Advisory again for… Tuesday from noon to 8 p.m. due to the continuous heat. Remember to stay hydrated, limit strenuous outdoor activities, and wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.” [Twitter]
New School Board Chair — At its meeting last night, the Arlington School Board elected Reid Goldstein as chair and Tannia Talento as vice chair for the 2018-2019. [Twitter]
State Department Employee Guilty of Child Porn Production — An Alexandria man who worked for the U.S. State Department in Arlington has pleaded guilty to “producing child pornography, in part by using his work-issued cellphone.” Skydance MacMahon “worked with a woman in Canada to shoot explicit photos and videos of five children inside her home, federal prosecutors say.” [NBC Washington]
Vets Hiking to Arlington National Cemetery — Despite blistering heat, two veterans are hiking 150 miles from the gravesite of legendary Marine Chesty Puller, in Middlesex County, Virginia, to the gravesite of decorated World War II soldier Audie Murphy at Arlington National Cemetery. [WUSA 9]
Arlington Remembers World War I — “Veterans of six U.S. military conflicts were on hand June 28 as the Arlington Historical Society paid homage to county residents who fought, and died, in what was termed – ultimately incorrectly – the war to end all wars.” [InsideNova]
A man touched a boy inappropriately while he was playing in a park last week, police say.
The boy was playing in Doctor’s Run Park, near Randolph Elementary School, on the morning of Wednesday, June 20, when a man approached and touched him in a sexual manner, according to a crime report. The suspect then fled on foot.
More from this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:
SEXUAL BATTERY (late), 2018-06200138, 1300 block of S. George Mason Drive. At approximately 1:30 p.m. on June 20, police were informed of the late report of a sexual battery. At approximately 9:45 a.m. while the juvenile victim was playing in the park, an unknown male suspect approached the victim and touched him inappropriately before fleeing on foot. The suspect is described as an older dark skinned male, with a medium build, little facial hair and wearing a black, gray and white shirt, black pants and gray shoes. The investigation is ongoing.
Early yesterday (Tuesday) morning, meanwhile, police investigated a shooting in the Courthouse area — blocks from ACPD headquarters — that apparently stemmed from a road rage incident.
A man suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound and the suspect is still at large.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING (late), 2018-06260028, 1100 block of N. Courthouse Road. At approximately 2:23 a.m. on June 26, police were dispatched to the report of a person with a gun. Arriving units searched the area, but were unable to locate the suspect or reporting party. At approximately 2:46 a.m., police were dispatched to Virginia Hospital Center for the report of a person with a gunshot wound. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the victim was driving in the area when another vehicle began to follow him after a traffic infraction. The suspect vehicle then closely approached the victim’s vehicle while stopped and the suspect brandished a firearm and fired a shot at the victim, causing non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect is described as a black male with a medium complexion with short, black hair and a goatee wearing a gray tank top. The suspect vehicle is described as a silver Honda Accord. The investigation is ongoing.
The rest of this past week’s crime report highlights, after the jump.
Crystal City Tops HQ2 Poll — The combined Crystal City-Potomac Yard site is the most likely D.C. area landing spot for Amazon’s second headquarters, according to an online poll conducted by the Washington Business Journal. Meanwhile, D.C., Virginia and Maryland officials are teaming up to promote the region as the HQ2 search continues. Amazon fever has even entered the world of local business conferences: an event dubbed “HQmania” is scheduled to be held in Rosslyn next month. [Washington Business Journal, WAMU, DCA Live]
Rosslyn Lands Nonprofit HQ — “It’s been a good week for Rosslyn. First came the news that Gerber, a Nestle subsidiary, would relocate its headquarters and 150 jobs from New Jersey to 1812 N. Moore St. And Friday, we learn that a D.C.-based global nonprofit has decided to cross the Potomac into Arlington.” [Washington Business Journal]
ART Bus Stop Vandalized — Someone smashed two of the windows on an ART bus stop in the Long Branch Creek neighborhood late last week. [Twitter]
Arlington Man Charged With Statutory Rape — A 47-year-old Arlington man was arrested at his home last month and charged with the statutory rape of a minor in North Carolina. The man arranged meeting the minor in North Carolina via the messaging app Kik, which is popular with teens. [Fox 8]
Local Columbine Survivor Addresses Student Protesters — “Salli Garrigan was in music class when the sound of gunshots reverberated through the halls of her high school… Garrigan, now 35 and an Arlington resident, stood Friday before a crowd of D.C.-area students gathered on the U.S. Capitol lawn and told them when she was their age, she didn’t know how to make her voice heard.” [Washington Post]
Long Bridge Park Field Renovations Starting — Work is set to begin today on new turf for Long Bridge Park’s heavily-used Field No. 3. The field is expected to be closed for 45 days. [Arlington County]
Past and Present School Board Members Gather — On Thursday, the Arlington School Board held its last meeting at the Arlington Education Center building next to Washington-Lee High School. The board room and administrative offices are moving to the Syphax Education Center along Washington Blvd. To mark the last meeting, past and current School Board members members gathered for a photo. [Twitter]
A 56-year-old of the Columbia Forest neighborhood, near Columbia Pike, has been arrested on child pornography charges.
Arlington County Police say that the suspect, Robert Keith Rowe, lived in Arlington but was a teacher at Sandburg Middle School in Fairfax County. Online records suggest he was a chair of the school’s math department.
Rowe is being held without bond at the Arlington County jail in Courthouse.
More from an ACPD press release:
Detectives with the Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit have charged 56-year-old Robert Keith Rowe of Arlington, VA with Possession of Child Pornography. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.
An Arlington County detective assigned to the regional Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force began an intensive investigation into the online activities of Mr. Rowe after receiving a tip about possible criminal behavior. Following the execution of a search warrant at his residence in the 1200 block of S. Forest Street on the morning of March 15, Mr. Rowe was taken into custody. Evidence collected at the scene resulted in the charge against him.
Mr. Rowe is currently a teacher at Sandburg Middle School in Fairfax County. At this time, detectives have not located evidence to suggest he has had inappropriate contact with children. This remains an ongoing and active criminal investigation and anyone with information about Mr. Rowe that may be pertinent to this case is asked to contact either Detective G. Sloan at 703-228-4198 or [email protected] or Detective H. Molina at 703-228-7037 or [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).
Arlington County police are looking for a man who “made a sexually inappropriate comment” to a girl under the age of 18 near the Westover neighborhood.
The incident happened last Thursday afternoon, according to this week’s ACPD crime report.
SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES (late), 2018-01110206, 5600 block of N. Washington Boulevard. At approximately 6:47 p.m. on January 11, police were dispatched to the late report of a suspicious person. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 2:30 p.m., a juvenile female victim was walking in the area when an adult male approached her on foot and made a sexually inappropriate comment before fleeing the scene. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 5’5″ to 5’11” tall with an average build, and a black beard. He was wearing a red baseball hat and blue jeans at the time of the incident. The investigation is ongoing.
The rest of this past week’s crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, after the jump.
A man who forced a 16-year-old girl to work as a prostitute in an Arlington County hotel pleaded guilty yesterday to sex trafficking a minor.
According to documents filed in federal court, Andrew Lee Thompson II, aka “Slim,” 34, of Florida, brought the girl to Arlington after meeting her in Arizona.
While in Arlington, a security guard called police after seeing multiple men go in and out of two rooms at a hotel, identified by WUSA 9 as the Best Western on S. Glebe Road near I-395.
“When law enforcement investigated, they found evidence of prostitution related activity in the hotel rooms and recovered the minor victim,” said a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “After arresting Thompson, law enforcement found tattoos on his body bragging about his pimping activities, including on his arm and across his chest.”
Thompson also trafficked the girl in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and elsewhere in Virginia for prostitution dates, then collected the money. Thompson worked alongside two co-defendants, Delberta McKenzie and Rachel Robillard, prosecutors say, using prostitution ads posted online.
Thompson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. He will be sentenced on February 9, 2018.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced the guilty plea with Arlington County Police Chief Jay Farr and Andrew Vale, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Arlington County Police have arrested a man suspected of masturbating in public while staring at children.
The incident happened last Friday evening, just off Columbia Pike. Police say the 61-year-old man was watching children play at a playground, on the 900 block of S. Buchanan Street, while engaging in the lewd conduct.
“An unknown male suspect was observed masturbating behind a tree while watching children playing,” according to an ACPD crime report issued earlier this week. “The suspect fled on foot when approached by an adult in the area.”
Jose Sanchez, of no fixed address, has since been arrested and charged with masturbating in a public place, a police spokeswoman said today. He was held without bond.
An Arlington man now faces up to two decades behind bars, after admitting to downloading child pornography from the dark web.
