Eric Lipman, former basic counsel for the Florida Elections Fee, has been sentenced to six yrs in federal jail on youngster pornography prices.
Main U.S. District Judge Mark Walker imposed the sentence throughout a Friday hearing at the U.S. Courthouse in Tallahassee. Lipman have to sign up as a intercourse offender and serve nine a long time of supervised release right after his stay in jail.
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Lipman, 60, was arrested April 7, 2021 — practically a year to the day of his sentencing — just after the Leon County Sheriff’s Office bought a tip about his computer system activity from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Throughout a subsequent lookup of his residence, area, point out and federal law enforcement officers discovered 19 information of kid sexual abuse content. They also uncovered online searches on his operate notebook involving little one sexual abuse, pedophiles and children between the ages of 3 and 5, in accordance to arrest information.
“Those who search for to perspective and share child pornography facilitate the abuse of young children by people who create and gain from this illegal material,” mentioned U.S. Legal professional Jason Coody in a news launch. “With the guidance of our legislation enforcement partners, we will assure that all those who interact in these kinds of heinous conduct will be held accountable for their steps.”
Lipman entered into plea agreement
Lipman entered into a plea settlement with federal prosecutors last month. In trade for pleading responsible to 1 rely of conspiring to distribute, receive and possess youngster pornography and one depend of distributing child pornography, two other counts were dropped.
Lipman began doing work for the Elections Fee in 2001 as an assistant typical counsel, rising to chief lawful counsel 9 a long time afterwards. He was fired soon soon after his arrest. Right before that, he worked as a senior attorney for the Florida Division of Youngsters and Family members in Leon, Wakulla and Franklin counties.
His attorney, Richard H. Smith of Tallahassee, wrote in a sentencing memo that Lipman “lived an exemplary life” that was blemished by unlawful conduct that occurred about a 3-hour time period on Feb. 11, 2021.
“3 hrs of Mr. Lipman’s 60 decades have brought him to this level in his daily life,” wrote Smith, who requested for the lowest probable sentence.
But John Condon, specific agent in charge of Homeland Safety Investigations in Tampa, referred to as Lipman a little one predator who conspired with other individuals to sexually exploit younger young children.
“Because of the investigative do the job of HSI and our regulation enforcement partners at the Leon County Sheriff’s Place of work, he will no lengthier be equipped to harm our most vulnerable,” Condon claimed in the information launch.
Sheriff Walt McNeil stated he applauded the collaborative effort by businesses associated in the investigation: “We ought to carry on to do our thanks diligence in shielding our most vulnerable and precious users of our community.”
Make contact with Jeff Burlew at [email protected] or adhere to @JeffBurlew on Twitter.
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