MAN SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS FOR USING THE INTERNET
TO ENTICE MINORS TO PRODUCE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

ROCHESTER, N.Y.-- Andrew Bajek, 33, of Chicago, Illinois, pled guilty today to producing and transporting child pornography and was then sentenced to 15 years in prison and placed on lifetime supervised release by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer, U.S. Attorney Terrance P. Flynn of the Western District of New York announced today.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who handled the case, stated that between January 2005 and March 30, 2006, the defendant engaged in sexually explicit internet chats with a fifteen-year old girl who resided in Webster, New York. The minor met the defendant in a chat room at the website, "Bolt2". The defendant then enticed the minor to send him extremely sexual graphic nude pictures and videos of herself which she took with a digital camera. After the minor refused to send more images, the defendant threatened to place the images on the internet. The minor's parents then reported this conduct to the FBI.

During the investigation, it was also discovered that the defendant had engaged in internet chats with an eleven-year old girl who resided in the State of Michigan. The defendant also enticed this minor to produce sexually explicit images of herself and send them to the defendant.

Finally, it was determined that the defendant possessed more than 600 images of child pornography on a yahoo account he maintained.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit .

The conviction in this case was the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Laurie J. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge.