The U.S. Federal District Court in Riverside, California, has sentenced a Japanese man to 17 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for conspiracy to advertise child pornography on the Internet, the Justice Department said Tuesday.
Futoshi Tachino, 32, pleaded guilty after being arrested in Chicago in July 2009.
"The sentencing is the result of an international investigation into the 'Lost Boy' online bulletin board," the department said. "The Lost Boy bulletin board, according to court documents and proceedings, was dedicated to men who have a sexual interest in young boys and was established to provide a forum to trade child pornography."
Lost Boy had a thorough vetting process for new members, who were required to post child pornography to join the organization.
Once accepted, members were required to continue posting child pornography to remain in good standing and to avoid removal from the board.
"As a result of the investigation, 16 named defendants, including Tachino, were charged in the United States and arrested for their roles in the bulletin board," the department said.