Court takes sex predator's home

U.S. District Court approved forfeiture of Brian R. Gillingham's house to federal government.

By Doug Page

Staff Writer

Thursday, March 20, 2008

ENGLEWOOD — Chances are sexual predator Brian R. Gillingham won't be returning to Englewood after serving his 11-year sentence for gross sexual imposition of a 6-year-old boy.

Last month, the U.S. District Court approved the forfeiture of Gillingham's house to the federal government.

"I believe this was the proper outcome," assistant U.S. Attorney

Pamela Stanek said. In arguing for the forfeiture, Stanek said, Gillingham needed the privacy of his house to commit crimes, including child pornography.

"We frequently use the federal forfeiture laws in child pornography cases to take the instruments of the crime — computers, printers, video cameras," she said. "But this is the first time we've taken a house."

Gillingham, 41, was convicted in 2004 of the sex charge, plus seven counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor and one of possession of criminal tools — the computer.

He was sentenced to 11 years in prison and labeled a sexual predator. It was not his first prison term. In 1995, Gillingham was sentenced to three years in prison on federal child porn charges.

The forfeiture brought some relief to Englewood officers.

"He can't come back to our neighborhood," said Mark Brownfield, the city's police chief.

Sgt. Mike Lang, who was the lead investigator in the case, called Gillingham a "monster given the forethought and planning that went into satisfying his depraved sexual fetish."

"He has other houses in other

jurisdictions," Brownfield said. "Hopefully, he won't be back to Englewood."

Gillingham's house on Park Vista has no liens and is assessed at $140,830, according to the Montgomery County auditor.

The city hopes to get the majority of the proceeds from the sale of the house.

According to the auditor's Web site, Gillingham owns another house on Meadow Side Lane in Sugarcreek Twp.