WASHINGTON — A 57-year-old former D.C. man was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday for his involvement in trading and sharing child porn online.
Ian Fried was charged with Conspiracy to Distribute and Receive Child Pornography and will be placed on 10 years of supervised release after completing his prison term.
He will also be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years following his prison release and pay restitution to the victims of his criminal offense.
According to evidence provided by the government, in May 2017, Homeland Security Investigations began looking into a group of individuals who were trading child pornography online. Authorities found numerous individuals across the country that were using the targeted networks to discuss, view and trade child porn and child exploitation files.
Authorities say Fried frequently used these chat networks between November 2018 through at least March 2020. He shared links containing files depicting the sexual abuse of young children. Fried also discussed with other offenders where to view and locate child pornography on the internet.
On Oct. 21, 2021, police obtained a warrant, authorizing the search of Fried's home. Hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual assault and exploitation of very young children were found on his electronic devices after they were seized leading to his conviction.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative.
In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.
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