2 men sentenced to federal prison for CSRA child porn crimes
GROVETOWN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Two men have been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to child pornography crimes in Grovetown and Waynesboro.
A Columbia County man has been sentenced to nearly 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to producing images of child sexual exploitation, according to officials.
Hector Salazar Torres, 30, of Grovetown, Ga., was sentenced to 325 months in prison after pleading guilty to production of child pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
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U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Torres to pay $9,600 in restitution and assessments, to as a sex offender, and to serve 20 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“We applaud the diligence of our law enforcement partners in identifying Hector Torres and holding him able,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The most vulnerable citizens in our community are safer when predators are behind bars.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Grovetown police officers were investigating the reported sexual assault of a child when they seized Torres’ cell phone. The FBI reviewed the contents of the phone and identified dozens of images and videos of child sexual abuse, including a video of a toddler. By matching an image in the video to a scar on Torres’ hand, investigators determined Torres produced the video with his phone.
Torres also faces state prosecution on child molestation charges involving victims unrelated to the federal case.
“The sexual abuse and exploitation of children is an absolutely horrific offense,” said Matthew Ploskunak, Senior Supervisory Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta’s Augusta office. “Torres’s sentence will give him plenty of time to think about his unacceptable behavior, but more importantly while in prison, he won’t be able to harm any more children.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Grovetown Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Jason W. Blanchard.
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A Waynesboro man has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sharing digital videos of child sexual abuse, according to authorities.
Kadarion Davonte Ellison, 27, who worked as a patient care technician at an Augusta hospital, was sentenced to 126 months in prison after pleading guilty to distribution of child pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Ellison to as a sex offender and to serve 20 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Child victims are subjected to endless trauma each time their images are shared online,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We applaud the vigilance of our law enforcement partners in identifying these predators for the protection of our most vulnerable citizens.”
As described in court documents and testimony, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) detected child sexual abuse material being transferred via an internet application. With assistance from the Waynesboro Police Department, HSI investigators determined Ellison was purchasing and distributing child pornography online.
During a search of Ellison’s residence in 2023, investigators seized multiple electronic devices found to contain thousands of videos and images of child sexual abuse material.
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Judge Hall ordered Ellison to pay $60,000 in restitution to victims identified during the investigation with the assistance of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
“Finding and stopping those involved in the distribution of these disturbing images of children is one of our highest priorities,” said Anthony J. Patrone acting special agent in charge of HSI Atlanta that covers Georgia and Alabama. “I am appreciative of the amazing of our law enforcement partners and the great work done on this case.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Waynesboro Police Department and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Jason W. Blanchard.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
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