DENVER – A Lutheran class leader from a Thornton church was sentenced July 7 to 97 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.
Following his prison sentence, Kevin Dale Harlow, 55, will serve ten years on supervised release and register as a sex offender. He will also have to pay $22,000 in restitution to several victims who were pictured in the pornography.
Harlow, who was leading a sixth grade boys confirmation class at a Lutheran Church, had 3,257 child porn images and 316 videos in his possession. There were 554 image files with minors who had been previously identified to police. Some of the material portrayed sadistic, masochistic or other violent depictions.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigation (ICE HSI) unit investigated the case
According to stipulated facts in the plea agreement, a special agent from ICE HSI was able to gain access to a peer-to-peer file-sharing network during an undercover online investigation. The agent found a list of files reportedly being shared, including 36 with names indicative of child porn. Approximately 15 of those files showing child porn were downloaded by the agent for investigation.
During the investigation, it was found that those files were being shared from a residence in Thornton. In March 2013, the agent found 26 more files of child porn that were being made available from the residence.
The ICE HSI agent found the Johnstown Police Department was also investigation the residence and had accessed over 80 image files and 15 videos.
Based on that information, a federal search warrant was issued and executed at the residence. During the execution, Harlow was in the process of downloading child porn. Numerous computers and devices were taken from the home.
The investigation showed Harlow used teens, preteens, girls and boys. Investigators say he had a preference for children between 10 and 14 years old.
The case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Learn more about the program here:http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Original Story: http://www.9news.com/story/news/crime/2015/07/10/church-class-leader-sentenced-for-child-porn/29968995/
