TWO PLEAD GUILTY TO PRODUCING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2008 - GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. - Timothy John Mierop, 30, of Pennfield Township, Michigan, has pled guilty to a charge of producing images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, U.S. Attorney Charles R. Gross announced today. Sentencing for Mierop is scheduled for August 18, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney. At sentencing, Mierop will be subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison, a maximum of a lifetime term of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.

Co-defendant David Bryant McCorkle, 29, of Galloway, Ohio, has also pled guilty to two counts of producing images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. A sentencing date for McCorkle before Judge Maloney is yet to be announced. McCorkle will be subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 60 years in prison, a maximum of a lifetime term of supervised release, and fines totaling of $500,000.

The charges against Mierop and McCorkle arose when, on September 23, 2007, local law enforcement officers were notified by family members of the victims -- six-year-old and fouryear- old girls -- who discovered that McCorkle was photographing the children naked. The investigation determined that McCorkle had come to Michigan at the invitation of his friend Mierop, who knew the children. The investigation also determined that Mierop had taken his own illegal pictures of the six-year-old girl. McCorkle and Mierop were both arrested in September and remain in custody.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney's Office, county prosecutor's offices, an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves.For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The investigation of this matter was conducted by the FBI and the Calhoun County Sheriff's Department. Prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Mekaru.