DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GRETCHEN C.F. SHAPPERT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2007
CONTACT: SUELLEN PIERCE
704.338.3120
FAX 704.227.0264
Husband and Wife Receive Harshest Penalties Allowed by Law
ASHEVILLE, NC - Troy Alan Witschi, 43, and Billie Elaine Witschi, 38, husband and wife, and both
formerly of Richland, Portage, and Crawford Counties in Ohio, and of Rutherford and Mitchell Counties in North Carolina, were sentenced to 30 years and 20 years, respectively, in federal prison for their involvement in the production of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today. The defendants were also sentenced to 10 and three years, respectively, of supervised release, and both ordered to register as sexual offenders. The sentences were handed down by U.S. District Judge Lacy H. Thornburg.
The charges are contained in a federal bill of indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Charlotte last March. The Witschis have been in federal custody since April 24, 2006. Their federal prosecution followed their arrests by local authorities upon discovery of evidence of production and transportation of child pornography.
Troy Alan Witschi pled guilty to two counts of production and transportation of child pornography.
Those counts charged, and Witschi admitted, that on two occasions, once between August 2002 and June 2003, and again, in or about May 2004, the exact dates being unknown, he knowingly used a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct, which were then transported in interstate commerce. The two criminal counts to which Troy Alan Witschi pled guilty both charge that the visual depictions of such conduct were transported from Ohio to Mitchell County, NC.
Billie Elaine Witschi pled guilty as charged to one count which charged that between June 2001 and
June 2002, while in Rutherford County, North Carolina, being a parent of a minor, she did knowingly permit such minor to engage in and, did assist any other person to engage in, sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct, and such depiction was actually transported across state lines and in interstate commerce by any means, including a computer.
“The conduct of Troy and Billie Witschi, as described in the bill of indictment and court proceedings, is some of the most depraved behavior ever described in our court,” said United States Attorney Gretchen Shappert. “No civilized society can tolerate or condone the predatory actions of these two. The damages the Witschis have done to an innocent child are incalculable. Justice demands active prison sentences. Indeed, active prison sentences are only a down payment on the debt these two owe to the victim and to society. Once their terms are complete, they face rigorous supervision and registration as sex offenders. To do less, would be a mockery of justice.”
Shappert also praised the hard work and dedication of the agents and prosecutor who brought the
Witschis to justice. The indictment came as the result of investigations conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office, and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office. These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimlani M. Ford.
These federal prosecutions were 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.
In March of this year, Project Safe Childhood unveiled new public service advertisements (PSAs) regarding the dangers of online predators. The ads, which were developed jointly the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), and the Ad Council, are designed to educate teenage girls about the potential dangers of posting and sharing personal information online. The Think Before You Post campaign reminds teens that “anything you post online, anyone can see, family, friends and even no-so-friendly people.”
Popular social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and Sconex make it easier for teens to post and share personal information, pictures, and videos, which may make them more vulnerable to online predators. Teenage girls are particularly at risk of online sexual exploitation. A recent study by University of New Hampshire researchers for NCMEC found that of the approximately one in seven youth who received a sexual solicitation or approach over the Internet, 70 percent were girls.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For more information about the Think Before You Post campaign, please visit http://www.cybertipline.com.
Project Safe Childhood partners for the Western District of North Carolina include the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, the North Carolina Attorney General, the North Carolina SBI, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and a host of local law enforcement agencies.