Sexual Exploitation of a Child Lands Decatur Man 22 Years in Federal Prison

Daniel A. Betty, 28, of Decatur, Ill., is sentenced to serve 22 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting and enticing a 14-year-old girl in September and October 2019. U.S District Judge James E. Shadid ordered the sentencing as he described Betty as a predator who manipulated the minor victim.

Betty admitted that he used a social application known as “Spotafriend” to target minors. He posed as a teenage boy to meet minors for sexual activity and to send him sexually explicit images. The application “Spotafriend” advertises itself as a “swiping app for teens ages 13-19,” that uses the internet and cellular data to connect individuals.

Yesterday, Betty entered in his formal pleas of guilty. He admitted to one count of enticement of a minor, two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, and one count of receipt of child pornography as charged in the indictment returned by the grand jury in January 2020. Betty was arrested on Dec. 16, 2019, and remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson in the prosecution. Champaign Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, and the Decatur Police Department investigated the charges. Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office cooperated in the investigation.

Project Safe Childhood brought the case forward. PSC was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation. U.S Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) leads the PSC.