District of Kansas releases quarterly update on child exploitation cases prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas (USAO-KS) gives an update on cases prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood (PSC) during the months of March, April and May. PSC is a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

As part of USAO-KS's commitment to prosecuting cases related to child sexual abuse and exploitation, offices in Wichita, Topeka, and Kansas City, Kansas, are staffed with federal prosecutors who specialize in seeking justice in these types of offenses.

In March, April, and May, USAO-KS indicted multiple defendants on child exploitation related offenses while achieving substantial sentences for defendants who had been convicted.

Indictment

Ryan Brungardt, 37, of Salina was indicted on three counts of production of child pornography and one count of attempted production of child pornography. The former high school wrestling coach was initially charged through complaint on three criminal counts then prosecutors pursued an additional count at indictment after the discovery of a fourth alleged victim.

Dennis D. Dees, 39, of WaKeeney was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm in violation of the National Firearms Act.

Joshua David Kolb, 43, of Independence, Missouri, was indicted on one count of production of child pornography, one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, two counts of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and one count of interstate communications with a threat to injure.

Jesse William Laws, 46, of Leavenworth was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography. At the time of the alleged offense, Laws was a registered sex offender with two prior federal child pornography convictions.

Nicolas Perez-Paxtor, 40, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation and one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.

Devin Rich, 40, of Kansas City, Kansas, was indicted on six counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

Sentencing

Matthew William Brewer, 44, of Salina was sentenced to 240 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor - receipt of child pornography.

Frank Castro, 50, of Kansas City, Kansas was sentenced to 110 months in prison after being convicted of one count of receipt of child pornography following a bench trial.

Douglas Harpster, 53, of Salina was sentenced to 78 months in prison and a ten-year term of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor - possession of child sexual abuse material.

Eric Holloway, 53, of Clay Center was sentenced to 135 months in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor - possession of child sexual abuse material, with statutory sentencing enhancement as the defendant has a prior conviction for a crime of sexual violence.

Addilynn Jean Onuffer, 22, of Haysville was sentenced to 160 months in prison after pleading guilty to distribution of child pornography.

Michael Pinkerton, 48, of Topeka was sentenced to 137 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor - possession of child pornography. Pinkerton, a previously convicted sex offender, possessed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while he was on supervised release for similar offenses.

https://www.justice.gov/psc

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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