The sentencing of David Yellen, a youth gymnastics photographer from Royal Oak convicted of distributing child pornography, was postponed Friday to determine whether gymnasts will be allowed to speak in federal court. A last-minute dispute over who qualifies as a victim delayed until Nov. 22 punishment for Yellen, who prosecutors say also spent two decades taking pictures of the bare feet and genital areas of approximately 1,100 children in leotards. The sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Sean Cox was postponed more than one year after Yellen, 59, was arrested. The arrest and criminal case raised fears and...

David Eric Yellen, 59, of Royal Oak, was charged in June of last year after federal officials found hundreds of files of child pornography on his electronic devices. The FBI learned Yellen was using a peer-to-peer file-sharing software called BitTorrent to distribute the images. He had worked as a photographer and videographer at several youth gymnastics events over multiple years. When officials searched his devices, they found at least 200 images of the bare feet of children who had attended the gymnastics events, according to U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison. These photos were in a folder labeled "BFK," which...

"In 2020, Lester took sexually explicit photos of an 8-year-old child and distributed them to multiple individuals online using Whisper, a social media application that allows users to post and share photo and video messages anonymously," the release said. "When interviewed by police, Lester admitted to using Whisper and other social media applications to meet people and solicit child pornography."  Lester also admitted that she sent photos of the child in hopes that others would send her pictures of child sex crimes in return, the release said.  On July 6, 2023, Lester violated her release conditions by using...

A former youth leader for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was sentenced this week for possession of child pornography. He was also known to support Tim Ballard and his Operation Underground Railroad, which fights against child sex trafficking. Erick Allen Mosteller, 58, was convicted after pleading guilty to two second-degree felony charges of child sexual exploitation. He was sentenced to 250 days in jail, and up to four years of probation. He was originally charged with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a child, which was shortened to two counts with the plea deal.  According...

- Douglas Sovereign Smith Jr. The BSA’s former national director for youth protection was released from prison last week after serving nearly seven years behind bars. - He was in charge of Scout safety programs in 2005 when police discovered hundreds of images of child pornography and videos on his home computer. Some included prepubescent boys exposing themselves and engaging in sexual acts. - “It certainly shows that the people supervising him didn’t have their eyes wide open,” said Patrick Boyle, author of "Scout's Honor: Sexual Abuse in America's Most Trusted Institution." - An Eagle Scout who...