TUCSON MAN SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR VIEWING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

TUCSON, Ariz. – Today, Karl Modderman, 47, of Tucson, Ariz. was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins to 120 months in federal prison for viewing child pornography. Modderman pleaded guilty on March 13, 2012, to knowing access of child pornography.  Modderman’s prison term will be followed by lifetime supervised release, with stringent sex offender conditions, including the condition that he register as a sex offender.

                 On Aug. 3, 2011, Modderman was indicted by a federal grand jury in a two-count indictment, charging him with knowing access of child pornography and possession of child pornography. According to the plea agreement, between July and November of 2010, Modderman used two laptop computers to access and view images of child pornography. Modderman had been previously convicted of receipt of child pornography in 2003.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by United States Attorneys’ 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 exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Tucson Police Department, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The prosecution was handled by Carin C. Duryee, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-11-2726-TUC-RCC 
RELEASE NUMBER:   2012-128(Modderman)

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/