San Angelo Man Faces Up to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Prepubescent Child Pornography

LUBBOCK, Texas — Michael Patrick Redente, 40, of San Angelo, Texas, appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy M. Koenig and pleaded guilty to an indictment charging one count of possessing prepubescent child pornography, announced John Parker, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.

Redente, who remains on bond, faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.  A sentencing date was not set.

According to plea documents filed in the case, Redente used the computer at his residence to search the Internet for images and videos depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  In the course of these searches, Redente located, downloaded, and viewed numerous images and videos constituting child pornography.  Some of those images involved prepubescent minors.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations investigated.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy is prosecuting the case.

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