Repeat sex offender sentenced to over 10 years

An elderly man was convicted of possession child pornography and sentenced to 10 years in federal prison plus 10 years supervised release. He was sentenced following a two day trial in the District of Minnesota. This sentence reflects the crackdown that law enforcement is taking on possessors of child pornography and other child exploitation related charges.

This 72-year-old man was an alleged repeat sex offender. During the trial it was revealed that he was charged and convicted of sending obscene materials in 2013. Reportedly, he would write and send short stories depicting graphic violence and acts of extreme sexual abuse against young children. One of these particular stories is said to have been forwarded to an undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent attached to the Homeland Security Investigations unit. Based upon this email, he was charged.

Later, while he was out on bond, he amassed a large number of computers and supporting equipment and installed them in his Minnesota home. He used these computers to store dozens of videos depicting acts of exploitation against young children. His activities were discovered when his Probation Office requested a search of his home. It was stated that the man had moved the illicit files from the computers to a mobile video player. Based upon this evidence, he was charged with possession of child pornography.

Possessing these materials could mean years or decades behind bars. If you are facing child exploitation or pornography charges then you should speak to a defense attorney as soon as possible. These charges carry steep consequences that can affect the rest of your life. An attorney can ensure that your rights are respected and your arguments heard.

Source: Department of Justice, “Repeat Offender Sentenced to 121 Months for Possession of Child Pornography,” Mar. 25, 2016.