ATLANTA — A federal judge has sentenced one of the key figures in an extensive child pornography ring to 10 years in prison.
Dale Hodges was part of the BoyLover network, which operated in north Georgia and around the world.
Hodges admitted receiving child pornography and sharing those images with others.
"They would talk about contact that they may have had with children. They may post in certain areas pictures that they've taken of children," assistant United States Attorney Jill Steinberg said.
When federal agents shut down the BoyLover.net website back in November 2009, they started tracking down its members one by one.
A total of four north Georgia men were caught in that net.
One of them was Joseph Gittings, the No. 2 leader of the operation, who built the computer server.
Immigration Customs Enforcement agents raided Gittings' home in Cumming, hauling away computers and other evidence.
They found pictures given to him by Hodges, and raided Hodges' home in Roswell also.
Hodges was of special concern because he had access to children through his job as a tutor at the Huntington Learning Center in Alpharetta.
"It's important for the public to know that we're doing this kind of work, that we're out there in the community making sure that we're addressing online child exploitation matters and there's serious consequences for that activity," said Steinberg.
The case was particularly complex for agents, since many of the men used code names online.
Agents used surveillance, confidential informants and went online undercover.
Hodges was a moderator on the website, encouraging men to share their personal experiences and photos of young boys.
Hodges will spend 10 years in federal prison, followed by another 10 years of supervised release.
He's allowed no contact with children and will have to register as a sex offender.
Gittings has already pleaded guilty and will be sentenced later this month.
Hodges' next-door neighbor has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced in July.
A former Cherokee County middle school teacher Robin Watts was also indicted and still has pending charges.
Federal agents have also worked to track down any children the men had contact with to get them any needed counseling.
WSBTV
