Pearland Man Pleads Guilty To Producing And Distributing Child Pornography

HOUSTON – Travis James McReynolds, 33, of Pearland, has entered a plea of guilty to production and distribution of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson.

McReynolds was chatting online with an undercover officer in New Mexico, during which the undercover officer received three images and several videos of child pornography. One of the videos appeared to be a webcam video of a minor female under the age of 13 who is seen lewdly displaying her genitals for the camera and digitally penetrating her genitals and anus. Still images depicting minor girls displaying their genitals were also emailed to the undercover officer. The officer was able to determine the Internet Service Provider and traced the user to McReynold’s address in Pearland. The undercover officer received from McReynolds a short video clip of what turned out to be a young teen girl that McReynolds had produced himself. Based on this, the undercover officer contacted Galveston area law enforcement with the information.

On Oct. 20, 2012, a state search warrant was executed at the defendant?s apartment in Pearland, at which time two laptop computers were seized which revealed child pornography. Upon questioning, McReynolds admitted to obtaining child pornography by chatting with others over the Internet. Forensic analysis resulted in the discovery of approximately 132 images and 35 videos of child pornography on the two computers.
           
McReynolds entered the plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Froeschner today. Sentencing is set for Jan. 22, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Gregg Costa, at which time McReynolds faces a minimum of 15 and up to 30 years imprisonment for production as well as up to 20 years on the distribution charge. He also faces a potential fine of $250,000 and up to life on supervised release during which the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect children and prohibit the use of the Internet. McReynolds will remain in custody pending that hearing.

The charges against McReynolds were the result of an investigation conducted by the Galveston and Albuquerque offices of  Homeland Security Investigations and the Pearland Police Department as part of the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Stabe, was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."