A 46-year-old Tucson man has been indicted on federal child-sex charges in connection with alleged international sex shows performed for him over the internet, authorities say.
David Berry Garmarnik faces 20 counts of attempted child-pornography production, 20 counts of attempted enticement and coercion of a minor and five counts of receiving child pornography.
In July, Garmarnik was implicated in a federal child exploitation investigation, federal prosecutors said in a court filing Monday. Prosecutors say Garmarnik was using Skype to conduct live streaming shows of child sexual abuse being committed in the Philippines.
On Oct. 22, agents from Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Garmarnik’s home in Tucson, a federal criminal complaint says.
Garmarnik acknowledged sending money to about 100 different traffickers over time, the complaint says. It was payment, agents alleged, for the traffickers to force children to have sex on video in ways that he requested.
Garmarnik allegedly participated in dozens of shows since 2017, directing traffickers on how to sexually abuse children, a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office says.
In Monday’s court filing, prosecutors alleged, “Here, the defendant participated in, and directed, the rape of dozens of children over a span of nearly a decade.”
Garmarnik plans to plead not guilty to the charges, said his attorney, Joshua Hamilton.
Garmarnik was ordered released by U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Aguilera on Nov. 20, but she put a stay on that order pending an appeal by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. So, Garmarnik remains detained for now, though Hamilton plans to argue that it is unnecessary.
If released, the conditions will be very restrictive, he said. They include: Wearing an ankle brace, virtual house arrest except for a few specific activities and restriction and monitoring of internet use.
Attempted child-porn production carries a prison sentence of between 15 and 30 years for each count; attempted enticement and coercion carries a prison sentence between 10 years to life; and receiving child pornography carries a sentence of between 5 and 20 years in prison for each count, the release said.
Each count also carries a fine of up to $250,000 and at least five years to life of supervised release, the news release said.
The case against Garmarnik was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Go to www.justice.gov/psc to learn more about the initiative.
“The investigation described herein is part of an expansive case that has led to the infiltration and dismantlement of numerous international child sex trafficking organizations and criminal rings,” federal prosecutors said in Monday’s court filing.
