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Jul 31, 2025  |  
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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30: Kash Patel, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Patel, a former public defender, federal prosecutor and Trump loyalist, is facing opposition from Democrats over his past criticism of the Justice Department and FBI. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Kash Patel, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Patel, a former public defender, federal prosecutor and Trump loyalist, is facing opposition from Democrats over his past criticism of the Justice Department and FBI. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Abril Elfi 
6:41 PM – Wednesday, July 30, 2025

At least eighteen individuals have been convicted as a result of a coordinated operation between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI, which uncovered their involvement on four “dark web” sites dedicated to child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

On Wednesday, the DOJ announced the details behind Operation Grayskull, “a highly successful joint effort between the Department of Justice and the FBI that resulted in the dismantling of four dark web sites dedicated to images and videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).”

The announcement stated that the operation has led to the convictions of 18 offenders, including Thomas Peter Katsampes, 52, who was sentenced to 250 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for his involvement with one of these dark web sites. He was also ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution.

According to court documents, Katsampes joined a dark web site dedicated to CSAM in 2022, he advertised and distributed CSAM on the website, including CSAM depicting prepubescent children, and he eventually worked his way up to a staff position on the site — which included moderating the site.

As a moderator, he would enforce the site’s CSAM “posting rules,” as well as advise the site’s users how to post CSAM.

“Yesterday’s sentencing reaffirms our steadfast commitment to protecting our children, the most vulnerable among us, from those who exploit and harm them through the despicable trade in child sexual abuse material,” U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida said in a statement.

“Thomas Peter Katsampes and his co-conspirators ran some of the darkweb’s most heinous networks, enabling horrific crimes against innocent victims, but Operation Grayskull has shut these sites down and delivered justice. We applaud the FBI and our international partners for their tireless work, and let this be a clear warning: we will relentlessly pursue and prosecute anyone engaged in such atrocities, no matter how they attempt to cover their tracks,” the statement continued.

FBI Director Kash Patel said: “This operation represents one of the most significant strikes ever made against online child exploitation networks. We’ve not only dismantled dangerous platforms on the dark web, but we’ve also brought key perpetrators to justice and delivered a powerful message: you cannot hide behind anonymity to harm children.”

In addition to Katsampes, eight others have been convicted and sentenced in the Southern District of Florida for their roles in operating the major site targeted by Operation Grayskull.

  • Selwyn David Rosenstein, of Boynton Beach, Florida. Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography, five counts of advertisement of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Sentenced on Dec. 12, 2022, to 28 years in prison and ordered to pay $80,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
  • Matthew Branden Garrell, of Raleigh, North Carolina, Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography. Sentenced on Aug. 1, 2023, to 20 years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $158,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
  • Robert Preston Boyles, of Clarksville, Tennessee. Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography. Sentenced on Aug. 15, 2023, to 23 years and four months in prison and ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
  • Gregory Malcolm Good, of Silver Springs, Nevada. Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography. Sentenced on Aug. 22, 2023, to 25 years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $93,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
  • William Michael Spearman of Madison, Alabama. Pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise. Sentenced on Jan. 23, 2024, to life in prison and ordered to pay $123,400 in restitution to victims of his offense.
  • Joseph Addison Martin, of Tahuya, Washington. Pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise. Sentenced on April 18, 2024, to 42 years in prison and ordered to pay $174,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
  • Joseph Robert Stewart, of Milton, Washington. Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography. Sentenced on April 18, 2024, to 23 years and 9 months in prison and ordered to pay $19,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
  • Keith David McIntosh, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography, both as a person with a prior conviction for possession of child pornography. Sentenced on Dec. 19, 2024, to 55 years in prison.

In other judicial districts around the country, nine additional individuals have been convicted for their involvement with these websites as well, including the following:

  • Charles Hand, of Aberdeen, Maryland, was prosecuted in the District of Maryland and was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison;
  • Michael Ibarra, of Wenatchee, Washington, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Washington and was sentenced to 12 years in prison;
  • Clay Trimble, of Fordyce, Arkansas, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Arkansas and was sentenced to 18 years in prison;
  • David Craig, of Houston, Texas, was prosecuted in the Southern District of Texas and was sentenced to nine years in prison;
  • Robert Rella of Chesapeake, Virginia, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia and was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison;
  • Samuel Hicks, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was prosecuted in the Northern District of Indiana and was sentenced to 16 years in prison;
  • Richard Smith of Dallas, Texas, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Texas and was sentenced to 14 years in prison;
  • Patrick Harrison, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was prosecuted in the Western District of Michigan and was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison.
  • Thomas Gailus, of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and his sentencing is pending.

According to the release, two other individuals in the United States died before being charged for their involvement with the websites. The operation also resulted in arrests in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Estonia, Belgium, and South Africa.

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