Date: 08-01-2016

Case Style: United States of America v. Thomas Schopp

Case Number: 1:15-cr-00001-TMB

Judge: Timothy M. Burgess

Court: United States District Court for the District of Alaska (Juneau)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Kyle Reardon

Defendant's Attorney: Jamie McGrady

Description: Juneau, AK - Sex Offender Sentenced To Life Imprisonment

Twice Convicted Child Molester Produced Child Pornography While on Parole

Thomas Schopp, 52, resident of Juneau, Alaska, was sentenced to life imprisonment for production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a)(1).

Schopp had two prior convictions in state court for child molestation. In those case, Schopp was identified as Thomas Hiser. On January 29, 1988, Schopp (Hiser) was convicted of six counts of sexual assault in the first degree and was sentenced to five years in prison. On May 17, 1993, Schopp (Hiser) was convicted of two counts of sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree, three counts of sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree, and one count of attempted sexual abuse in the third degree, and was sentenced to 26 years in prison.

According to documents filed in this case and arguments made at today’s sentencing hearing, Schopp met Juvenile A, providing the minor with gifts over the course of several months, to include a cell phone. In February 2014, Schopp invited Juvenile A to his residence. At the residence, Schopp videotaped the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Schopp then traveled with Juvenile A to Reno, Nevada. Once in Reno, Schopp was arrested and detained. While detained, the defendant attempted to recruit individuals he knew to recover a computer and cell phone that he had been traveling with – and which contained the child pornographic images Schopp had produced – and to destroy those items.

In sentencing the defendant, Judge Burgess noted that Schopp had been arrested and sentenced to prison on two prior occasions for molesting at least nine children who had previously been in his care, and that a life term of imprisonment was the only way he could protect the community from the defendant. Judge Burgess said, “you go to jail for 26 years and you get out and here we are again. I don’t think there is anything I can do to deter you. Nothing.” According to Judge Burgess, “the only way I can [protect the public] is to sentence you to life.”

This case was investigated and prosecuted by the FBI in Anchorage and Juneau, Alaska, and Reno, Nevada. Assistance was provided by the State of Alaska Department of Corrections, Division of Probation and Parole, and the Washoe County (Nevada) Sheriff’s Department.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov, or contact the District of Alaska’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator at (907) 271-5071.

18 U.S.C. §2251. Sexual exploitation of children

(a) Any person who employs, uses, persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any minor to engage in, or who has a minor assist any other person to engage in, or who transports any minor in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or in any Territory or Possession of the United States, with the intent that such minor engage in, any sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct or for the purpose of transmitting a live visual depiction of such conduct, shall be punished as provided under subsection (e), if such person knows or has reason to know that such visual depiction will be transported or transmitted using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or mailed, if that visual depiction was produced or transmitted using materials that have been mailed, shipped, or transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer, or if such visual depiction has actually been transported or transmitted using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or mailed.

(b) Any parent, legal guardian, or person having custody or control of a minor who knowingly permits such minor to engage in, or to assist any other person to engage in, sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct or for the purpose of transmitting a live visual depiction of such conduct shall be punished as provided under subsection (e) of this section, if such parent, legal guardian, or person knows or has reason to know that such visual depiction will be transported or transmitted using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or mailed, if that visual depiction was produced or transmitted using materials that have been mailed, shipped, or transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer, or if such visual depiction has actually been transported or transmitted using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or mailed.

(c)(1) Any person who, in a circumstance described in paragraph (2), employs, uses, persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any minor to engage in, or who has a minor assist any other person to engage in, any sexually explicit conduct outside of the United States, its territories or possessions, for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct, shall be punished as provided under subsection (e).

(2) The circumstance referred to in paragraph (1) is that—

(A) the person intends such visual depiction to be transported to the United States, its territories or possessions, by any means, including by using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or mail; or

(B) the person transports such visual depiction to the United States, its territories or possessions, by any means, including by using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or mail.

(d)(1) Any person who, in a circumstance described in paragraph (2), knowingly makes, prints, or publishes, or causes to be made, printed, or published, any notice or advertisement seeking or offering—

(A) to receive, exchange, buy, produce, display, distribute, or reproduce, any visual depiction, if the production of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and such visual depiction is of such conduct; or

(B) participation in any act of sexually explicit conduct by or with any minor for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct;

shall be punished as provided under subsection (e).

(2) The circumstance referred to in paragraph (1) is that—

(A) such person knows or has reason to know that such notice or advertisement will be transported using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means including by computer or mailed; or

(B) such notice or advertisement is transported using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means including by computer or mailed.

(e) Any individual who violates, or attempts or conspires to violate, this section shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not less than 15 years nor more than 30 years, but if such person has one prior conviction under this chapter, section 1591, chapter 71, chapter 109A, or chapter 117, or under section 920 of title 10 (article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice), or under the laws of any State relating to aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact involving a minor or ward, or sex trafficking of children, or the production, possession, receipt, mailing, sale, distribution, shipment, or transportation of child pornography, such person shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not less than 25 years nor more than 50 years, but if such person has 2 or more prior convictions under this chapter, chapter 71, chapter 109A, or chapter 117, or under section 920 of title 10 (article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice), or under the laws of any State relating to the sexual exploitation of children, such person shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not less than 35 years nor more than life. Any organization that violates, or attempts or conspires to violate, this section shall be fined under this title. Whoever, in the course of an offense under this section, engages in conduct that results in the death of a person, shall be punished by death or imprisoned for not less than 30 years or for life.

Outcome: Defendant was sentenced to life in prsion.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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