A Sierra Vista man was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Friday after investigators learned he'd been downloading child pornography from an online file-sharing network, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Dustin Garold Heaton, 39, pleaded guilty to attempted distribution of child pornography last June. Online tips led Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to investigate Heaton, and it was revealed that between April 26 and June 13, 2005, he had a Yahoo account with a photo album that included images of child pornography, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office.
Agents searched Heaton's house and seized computers and other items. At the time, Heaton agreed to an interview and he told investigators he had downloaded the pornographic images as well as other images and movies of child pornography. Another tip came in from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Heaton downloaded additional images in September of 2005, and agents once again searched his home, where they seized more computers.
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In an interview, Heaton said he downloaded the child pornography from a file sharing system called "Limewire" and that he created Yahoo profiles featuring the images to see how many people were as "mentally sick as he was," according to the release.
He was arrested on December 13, 2005, and has been incarcerated since that time, according to the release. His 14-year sentence will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release and he will be required to register as a sex offender.
