Project Safe Childhood

NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 8 years in prison and 20 years of supervised release for receipt, transportation, and possession of images of child sexual abuse.

Project Safe Childhood helped bring about the prosecution of this case.

According to court documents, Robert Michael Fall, 42, possessed thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse at the time of his arrest, and had been collecting the images for at least a decade. A search warrant and forensic investigation revealed that Fall possessed at least two laptops, numerous DVDs, and a Dropbox account containing illicit images and videos. Despite the fact that Fall used fake email accounts to try to hide his digital tracks, the evidence at trial indicated that his Dropbox account alone contained over 320 images and over 2,900 videos of child sexual abuse. Virginia Beach police first became aware of Fall’s illegal conduct when a relative reported finding a laptop with images of apparent child sexual abuse in Fall’s bedroom.

Nationwide Initiative

This case was 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Eastern District of Virginia

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, and James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth M. Yusi and Daniel T. Young prosecuted the case.

Press Release

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-12.

Thank you Eastern District of Virginia for a prosecution to better protect children.