ATLANTA – Daniel Deocampo, a former professor and dean at Georgia State University (“GSU”), has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. Images and videos of children as young as five years old, engaged in sexually explicit conduct, were among the items confiscated.
“Deocampo was caught brazenly using the university network to exploit children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “It is disturbing when we learn that an educator engages in this type of disgusting behavior. Possessing child pornography victimizes and abuses the children in the images each time they are disseminated.”
“Children portrayed in child pornography images are victimized each time those images are distributed or viewed, and this case is especially distressing because the suspect was a professor who worked with our youth,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI remains committed to protecting our children and is thankful for the law enforcement partnerships that make it possible to stop people like Deocampo from victimizing any more children.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: In November 2020, Georgia State University’s Cyber Security Department (“GSU Cyber Security”) alerted the FBI that an employee was accessing websites which appeared to contain child pornography through the university’s network.
Working together, the FBI and GSU Cyber Security identified Deocampo as the individual who had accessed multiple websites containing child pornography (or had links to other websites containing child pornography) from campus in November and December 2020. GSU Cyber Security also advised the FBI that Deocampo routinely accessed the university’s network from home. Based on that information, FBI determined that Deocampo was also accessing websites containing child pornography from his home on several days in late December 2020 and early January 2021.
Based on the foregoing, on January 6, 2021, the FBI executed search warrants at Deocampo’s residence, as well as his GSU office and lab space. As a result of the search, agents recovered an Apple laptop belonging to Deocampo that contained more than 4,000 files of child pornography, including approximately 190 videos.
Daniel Deocampo, 48, of Avondale Estates, Georgia, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on November 3, 2021. Deocampo’s sentencing is scheduled for February 23, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Georgia State University Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex R. Sistla is prosecuting the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
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