A retired FBI agent has been charged with possessing and distributing child pornography, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Indianapolis announced Monday.
Ex-agent Donald J. Sachtleben, 54, of Carmel, Ind., was charged in a criminal complaint, authorities said. He retired in 2008.
“The mission of our Project Safe Childhood initiative is to investigate and prosecute anyone found to engaged in the sexual exploitation of children,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Hogsett in a statement. “Today’s announcement underscores this serious commitment and should make clear that no matter who you are, you will be brought to justice if you are found guilty of such criminal behavior.”
The complaint, unsealed Monday, alleged that authorities first became aware that he was trading images of child pornography online in September 2010. He was arrested this past January in Illinois.
Authorities said a forensic examination of his computer equipment and emails showed that he had been actively trading such materials online with numerous other people.
The complaint alleged that an initial forensic examination of Sachtleben’s laptop computer showed about 30 images and video files containing child pornography.
