November 16, 2021 - LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced Monday to 27 years in prison for attempting to sexually exploit a child and for receiving child pornography using a file sharing network.

“Child pornography and sexual exploitation of children are appalling crimes that have been on the rise as predators use technology to gain easier access to communication with children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada. “Working with our law enforcement partners, our office will continue to prioritize protecting children from sexual abuse.”

“The FBI is committed to stopping and holding accountable anyone who engages in the sexual exploitation of children.” said Aaron C. Rouse, FBI Las Vegas Special Agent in Charge. “Every time child pornography is viewed on the internet it re-victimizes a child. Together with our partners, we are dedicated to investigating and bringing federal charges against those who commit these heinous crimes.”

According to court documents, in June 2016, Richard Fred Dittmer III (25) utilized the BitTorrent file sharing network to download child pornography. During the execution of a search warrant at Dittmer’s residence, he admitted to receiving images and videos of child pornography, as well as to uploading child pornography to YouTube. A forensic examination of electronic devices belonging to Dittmer revealed over 365 images and 18 videos of child pornography, including sadistic and masochistic images. He was charged in federal court and released on pretrial supervision.

While on pretrial supervision, between December 2018 and February 2019, Dittmer III coerced a 13-year-old girl on Snapchat into creating sexually explicit images and videos of herself. He then threatened to send those images to students at the victim’s school unless she sent him additional images.

Dittmer III pleaded guilty in January 2021 to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a child. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey sentenced him to a lifetime term of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution to the victims.

This case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bianca Pucci and Christopher Burton prosecuted the case.

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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
Source: DOJ Release