Project Safe Childhood: DoJ Delivers Harsh Sentences in Child Sexual Abuse Cases, Rape of Infants and Torture of Toddlers

• Three individuals were sentenced for child sexual abuse, and using content of extreme violence and rape of infants and toddlers 
• The DoJ sentenced them for storing child pornography, with one among them creating and distributing CSAM
• Project Safe Childhood continues to leverage federal, state, and local resources to rescue victims

The Department of Justice (DoJ) has been taking stringent actions against child abusers and bringing them to justice. This time, they sentenced three individuals caught in child sexual abuse, demonstrating a firm stance against child sexual abuse crimes.

As part of the Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child exploitation, a U.S. District Judge sentenced Brian Walker, 52, to 12 years and seven months in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release. 

Walker was convicted of enticing a 12-year-old girl for sexual activities and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He posed as a minor to the girl on a social media platform and discussed sexually explicit topics. 

“On June 24, 2024, Walker travelled to meet the minor in person at the community pool and was arrested at the scene,” a DoJ report stated. Law enforcement found hundreds of images and videos of minors on his phone. 

This case, like many involving online interactions, underscores the critical role of parental guidance. "When it comes to keeping children safe online, the most effective defense is open, ongoing dialogue between parents and their children," advised Casey Ellis, Founder at Bugcrowd. 

"Privacy settings, parental controls, and monitoring tools are all useful; however, they’re no substitute for trust and communication. Kids need to feel comfortable coming to their parents when something doesn’t seem right, whether it’s a stranger reaching out, encountering inappropriate content, or even just a feeling that something’s not right," Ellis explained.

Further, Gary Syd Goldberg, 77 from Mannford, Oklahoma, was sentenced for possession of child pornography. He will be under 10 years of supervised release and will need to register as a sex offender upon his release. 

He was arrested after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a tip about an image found on an AI image generator platform. Goldberg was swiftly traced by law enforcement, following which they searched his residence.

Goldberg had hundreds of images of child pornography and viewed content of sexually abused children daily for the past 24 years, a DoJ report stated.

He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. 

The use of AI in such cases highlights new frontiers for law enforcement and reinforces the need for vigilance. Ellis also stressed the importance of proactive education, stating, "Teaching children to recognize red flags, such as someone asking for personal details, trying to move conversations off-platform, or trying to encourage them towards 'illegal' activity within the app, is key."

Yet another sentencing involved a Collinsville man for creating child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and distributing it. Brady Cort Dozier, 22, has been ordered to spend 240 months in prison and have supervised release for his lifetime, according to a DoJ press release. 

Not only was he sentenced to prison, but he was fined $63,000 in restitution to the victims he abused by sharing CSAM. His devices stored over 3,700 files of child pornography, including sadistic content of children. 

Furthermore, his CSAM collection also had content showing extreme violence, torture and rape of infants and toddlers. Although the Child Victim Identification Program by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified over 35 victims in this investigation, the fate of the other children remains unclear. 

In light of such egregious acts often facilitated by digital media, experts emphasized a layered approach to online safety. 

Kern Smith, Vice President of Global Solutions at Zimperium, pointed out, "Parents often focus on social media and in-game safety online; however, it’s equally important to consider the security of the mobile device and app itself.”

“Mobile apps can be targets for malware, phishing, and exploitation through unpatched vulnerabilities. If the device is compromised, attackers can access sensitive information, hijack sessions, or manipulate app behaviors, Smith further added.

“We encourage parents to ensure that their child’s device has protection in place to detect threats in real time and prevent attackers from exploiting mobile-first vulnerabilities," Smith concluded.