ICE said that the charges against Garvin Cadogan, 45, who had been living here under an assumed identity, had also been investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
ICE said Cadogan was sentenced to 151 months in a US federal prison for receiving child pornography, 120 months on two counts of possessing child pornography, and 36 months for his false claim to US citizenship.
US District Judge Frank Montalvo ordered all the prison terms to run concurrently.
On February 23, ICE said HSI special agents executed a search warrant at Cadogan’s east El Paso apartment.
While executing the warrant, the special agents discovered that one of his computers was downloading and sharing multiple files via a peer-to-peer network, which depicted minors being sexually exploited.
ICE said special agents arrested him and seized his home computer. A forensics analysis of Cadogan’s seized computer revealed the presence of more than 200 child pornography videos, the agency said.
Cadogan pleaded guilty to the charges October 19. He also pleaded guilty to falsely claiming to be a US citizen at the time of his arrest.
It said Cadogan is actually a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, “who assumed the identity of a Pennsylvania resident.
“Cadogan used this stolen identity to work in El Paso. Furthermore, he used the identity to secure a valid driver’s license, an apartment and to meet his basic necessities,” ICE said, adding that the Pennsylvania resident is a disabled elderly man who received Social Security benefits.
But it said these benefits were terminated because Cadogan used his identity for employment purposes.
“Due to the loss of benefits, the victim almost lost his house and had to rely on his family for food and basic needs.”
HSI said that the arrest is intended to send a strong signal to people involved in child pornography.
“In addition to arresting child predators, we also identify other sinister criminals. This individual took advantage of the system, and wreaked havoc on the life of a disabled US citizen whose identity he stole,” said Dennis A. Ulrich, special agent in charge for HSI El Paso.
(Re-Printed Caribbean360.com)