Special Agent in Charge Debra K. Mack, FBI  Mobile Field Office, reaffirmed today the FBI's commitment to investigating all allegations of federal crimes against children.  The FBI will bring all resources at its disposal to identify, investigate, arrest, and prosecute child pornographers, pedophiles, or other predators who target children.

                   Recent examples of FBI investigations involving child predators involved Benjamin Charles Boone and Steve Dennis Thomas.  Boone was identified by the Mobile Police Department (MPD) as being a collector of child pornography.  A joint MPD/FBI investigation ensued and resulted in Boone's arrest and conviction. Information gathered during the Boone investigation subsequently identified Thomas, a retired Elementary School Principal, as a collector/trader of child pornography.   Boone and Thomas pled guilty to charges in Federal Court and were sentenced to 17 1/2 years and 12 1/2 years in prison respectively.  Upon completion of their sentences, both Boone and Thomas will be on Lifetime Supervised Release with the U.S. Probation Office.

                   The FBI is a proud partner with the United States Attorney's Office, and all the other law enforcement agencies in our area, as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC).  PSC is a Department of Justice initiative aimed at preventing the abuse and exploitation of children through the internet.