Cartersville man sentenced to 20 years in prison for producing child pornography

ROME, Ga. – Ian Alicea Prewett has been sentenced to federal prison for enticing children to engage in sexual acts to produce child pornography.

“Prewett is a sexual predator who lured and victimized innocent children,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “His prosecution and sentence are examples of our office’s unwavering commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable individuals like Prewett who attempt to exploit the anonymity of the Internet to sexually abuse vulnerable children.”

“This sentence represents a victory in the ongoing fight to protect our most vulnerable citizens – our children. “This predator who committed unspeakable atrocities against minors will now be brought to justice for the gravity of his crimes,” said Steven N. Schrank, acting special agent in charge who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and its law enforcement partners will continue to use all available resources to find, arrest and prosecute those who attempt to exploit children.”

According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the indictments and other information presented in court: Ian Alicea Prewett uploaded sexually explicit digital images of minors to Instagram on various dates between 2020 and 2022. Although Prewett tried to hide his online identity, federal agents identified him as the person who uploaded the images and obtained a search warrant for his home in May 2023. During the search, officers discovered a cell phone that was linked to the Instagram accounts through which Prewett was distributing child pornography.

When officers executed the search warrant, Prewett was already awaiting trial in Cobb County, Georgia, on charges of statutory rape, child molestation and child enticement. These allegations arose from Prewett chatting with a 14-year-old girl on Instagram, asking her to send him sexually explicit photos of herself, and then engaging in sexual acts with her.

Prior to his arrest in May 2023, Prewett used social media to entice numerous minors to create sexually explicit material and engage in sexual acts. One of his victims was a minor under the age of eight living in the United Kingdom. Prewett instructed her to send him pictures and videos of herself engaging in sexual acts. Prewett also directed a minor from Mobile, Alabama, to do the same and later traveled to Alabama to meet, photograph and have sex with the minor.

Ian Alicea Prewett, 31, of Cartersville, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II to 20 years in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release. Prewett was convicted of child sexual exploitation after pleading guilty on April 24, 2024.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Cobb County Police Department, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Wiltshire Police (UK).

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore S. Hertzberg and Calvin A. Leipold III prosecuted the case.