A registered sex offender who is formerly from the Los Angeles area but now resides in Washington state has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison following a conviction on child pornography charges stemming from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Gregory Macdonald Berry, 44, was sentenced on Dec. 13 to 420 months in prison, and ordered to pay more than $227,000 in restitution to his victims.  In addition, Berry will be subject to lifetime supervision following his release from prison. In imposing the lengthy sentence, U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer noted the defendant had repeatedly engaged in crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. That, together with his refusal to accept responsibility for his actions, made it likely he would again victimize children upon his release, Fischer said.

Berry was convicted on Aug. 31 of one count of possession of child pornography and one count of transportation of child pornography. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

In August 2009, shortly after his release from prison for a prior child sex crime, Berry was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) upon his return from a two-month trip to the Philippines.  Berry was taken into custody after officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at LAX discovered child pornography on his laptop computer. A subsequent forensic analysis of Berry’s laptop and iPod by HSI agents resulted in the recovery of more than 470 videos depicting children, some as young as two years old, engaged in sexual acts with adult men.

“This sentencing should serve as a stern reminder about the consequences facing those who prey upon and sexually exploit children,” said Claude Arnold, special agent in charge for ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Los Angeles.  “Every time a sexually explicit image of a minor is produced, transmitted, or viewed, a child is victimized.”

HSI’s involvement in this investigation is part of the agency’s initiative, Operation Predator, an ongoing enforcement effort targeting those who prey upon and sexually exploit children. ICE encourages people to report suspected child predators using the toll-free hotline at (866)DHS-2ICE, or at www.cybertipline.com.