Feds Crack Down on Kiddie Porn in SoFla

The State Attorney's Office announced this week that over the course of the past six months, "Project Safe Childhood," a program designed by Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez to crack down on Internet-related child exploitation in South Florida, sparked 66 investigations. Of the 66 cases, 58 individuals were indicted between September...

By Frank Houston

March 29, 2007

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The State Attorney's Office announced this week that over the course of the past six months, "Project Safe Childhood," a program designed by Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez to crack down on Internet-related child exploitation in South Florida, sparked 66 investigations.

Of the 66 cases, 58 individuals were indicted between September 2006 and February 2007; 35 have been convicted. The remaining indictments are either still under investigation or awaiting trial.

A sample of case highlights:

A West Palm Beach man, Jimmy I. Oliver, was found guilty of using a six year old girl to produce child pornography that he then distributed via the Internet; he received a 130-year prison sentence.

Miami-resident Dino Angelo Pancaro was busted by the FBI while boarding an airplane this past spring. Cops say he had arranged to travel overseas to hook up with ten- to twelve-year-old girls for sex. Pancaro pled guilty to child pornography and sex tourism charges and was sentenced to the mandatory minimum of 60 months in prison and five years' supervised release for each count.

Miami-Dade police arrested Michael Miller, who acted as "pimp" for a 14-year-old girl, who suffered from substance abuse and mental health problems. Miller also orchestrated a plan to travel with the juvenile victim to Georgia, where he intended to continue to prostitute her for profit. He pled guilty to one count of attempting to transport a minor for the purpose of engaging in prostitution and was sentenced to ten years in prison.

--Joanne Green

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