SOUTH BEND — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), published as received.
SOUTH BEND – Paul R. McDowell, Jr., 29 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorized access of a computer, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
McDowell was sentenced to 94 months of prison followed by 5 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $66,000 in restitution.
“The Defendant was a hacker-for-hire and would hijack the online social media accounts of several young women in exchange for money from third parties. Evidence showed that he illegally obtained and used victims’ personally identifiable information to gain access to their online accounts and to download private photographs and videos. He then exploited those victims by sharing the private photos and videos with other people online. The Defendant boldly attempted to hack into at least 37 different victims’ accounts! Thanks to the vigilant efforts of our partners at the FBI as a part of Project Safe Childhood, the law enforcement team executed a search warrant at this predator’s house and recovered his computer and cell phone. The Defendant ‘s devices and computer accounts contained more than 3,000 images and 3,000 videos of child sexual abuse material. Our nation’s children are safer with him behind bars,” said US Attorney Adam Mildred.
“Paul McDowell was a hacker for hire, who violated the privacy of dozens of unsuspecting young women, stole their personally identifiable information, and subjected them to sustained harassment, shame, and even blackmail, all so he could boost his confidence and make a few bucks,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “To make matters worse, the FBI found tens of thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his devices. This guy didn’t just break into computer systems, he broke young people’s lives, violated their privacy, and today’s sentence will keep him locked up for a good long time so he can’t harm anyone else.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston and Indianapolis Field Offices. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah T Jones and Luke N. Reilander.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
