Royal Oak gymnastics photographer pleads guilty in child porn case

FOX 2 (WJBK) - A Royal Oak gymnastics photographer has pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography in federal district court.

David Eric Yellen's child porn connection came to light after the FBI found he was distributing images of over the internet, using peer-to-peer file-sharing software, according to US Attorney Dawn N. Ison's office.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Yellen will face a sentence of between five and 20 years in prison, to be followed by a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life.

Yellen had worked as a photographer and videographer at multiple youth female gymnastics events in the past several years, according to the FBI's investigation.

David Yellen was arrested in June, 2023, after authorities said they tracked down the transfer of several images of child pornography that were being transferred to his IP address.

The FBI says its investigation started in May, 2023, when an agent identified 14 files being transferred using names that were consistent with files showing the genitals of pre-pubescent girls.

When the FBI searched Yellen’s house, they found that Yellen possessed hundreds of files of child pornography on his electronic devices, and that Yellen had taken at least 200 photographs of the bare feet of the children who attended the gyms and gymnastic events where Yellen worked.

"Yellen’s child pornography conduct was aggravated because of his position of trust in the gymnastics community with youth gymnasts and their parents," Ison said in a statement. "My office will continue to make the prosecution of child pornography crimes a top priority in order to keep our community and our children safe."

Yellen denied making the child pornography but said he often photographs pictures of bare feet of children during gymnastic events. The FBI said he kept them in a folder called "BFK" (Barefoot Kids) and would pleasure himself to the images.

As agents searched his hard drive, they found 1500 images of child sexual exploitation, 500 of which meet the federal definition of child porn.

"Yellen, a well-known figure in the Michigan gymnastic community, was found to be distributing child sex abuse material and to have other questionable photos on his devices directly involving some of the gymnasts he worked alongside," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Adults who work with and around our children are entrusted with the highest level of trust, and Yellen's conduct demonstrated his disregard for their protection.

"The FBI will continue to dedicate our resources to removing these individuals who lurk in the shadows and bringing them to justice."