PHILADELPHIA — On May 4, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced that a Southgate, Michigan, man has been arrested and charged with one count of manufacture of child pornography, attempted manufacture of child pornography, and willfully causing the manufacture of child pornography, stemming from his text communications with a 13-year-old girl on Christmas Day 2019.
Mark Allen Hillis, also known as “Daddy” and “Denverpolice#666,” age 57, is alleged to have met a minor through social media and then directed her to produce and send him graphic images of child pornography via text messages. Thereafter, Hillis allegedly traveled to Pennsylvania and sexually assaulted the minor in a hotel room after convincing her to meet up with him at a pizzeria in the middle of the night. In addition to the federal child pornography charges, Hillis faces state charges related to the alleged sexual assault in Montgomery County.
“This arrest demonstrates the great lengths that dangerous child predators will go through to victimize our most vulnerable,” said Brian A. Michael, special agent in charge for HSI Philadelphia. “Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners will always prioritize bringing dangerous child predators to justice.”
“As alleged in the criminal complaint, the defendant’s conduct is abhorrent: manipulating a child into sending him graphic images and then luring her from home in the middle of the night in order to commit a sexual assault to satisfy his twisted desires,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Protecting children and seeking justice for those who are victims of sexual exploitation is one of my office’s highest priorities and we will always aggressively investigate and prosecute cases such as this.”
If convicted, Hillis faces a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 15 years’ imprisonment, a mandatory minimum term of 5 years’ supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000.
