Source: United States Department of Justice News
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Dale Meyer Elliott (41, Kissimmee) with three counts of receipt of child sex abuse material and one count of possession of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Elliott faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison for each possession count and up to 20 years in federal prison for the possession count. The indictment also notifies Elliott that the United States intends to forfeit his cellphone, which is alleged to have been used to commit the charged offenses.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office and Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.