A Zephyrhills man, previously convicted for child sexual abuse material, has been sentenced anew for similar crimes. Aaron Bicknell, 37, was handed a 17-year federal prison term by U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington, as reported on August 6th by the U.S. Department of Justice. Following his prison term, Bicknell will be on supervised release for the remainder of his life and is ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to his victims.
Bicknell, a registered sex offender since his 2011 sentencing for receiving child sexual abuse material via an internet filesharing program, had been released from federal prison in May 2021. In less than two years, law enforcement officials discovered new materials linked to him. In August 2023, files of child sexual abuse material were downloaded from Bicknell leading to a warranted home search, which yielded over 100 images and 80 videos of child abuse on his devices.
"The sentencing of this recidivist felon for collecting child sexual abuse material underscores HSI's commitment to protecting our communities most vulnerable," said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Micah C. McCombs, in a statement obtained by the U.S. Department of Justice. Homeland Security Investigations (Tampa) and the Pasco Sheriff's Office collaborated on the investigation, which Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit prosecuted.
This case is part of the broader initiative Project Safe Childhood, which was launched in 2006 by the DOJ to address the increasing problem of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Tasked with both the apprehension, and prosecution of offenders and the identification and rescue of victims, the project pools federal, state, and local resources. More information about Project Safe Childhood is available through the DOJ's official website.
