FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	CONTACT: Lauren Horwood
April 11, 2011	PHONE: (916) 554-2706
www.usdoj.gov/usao/cae	usacae.edcapress@usdoj.gov
Docket #: 1:11-cr-00091 AWI

FRESNO, Calif. — United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that John Edward Teichrow, 63, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing images of child pornography.

This case is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Bakersfield working in conjunction with the Kern County Sheriff's Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Gappa.

According to court documents, in March 2010, Kern County Sheriff's Office investigators discovered that Teichrow was not in compliance with a sex offender registration requirement that obligated him to update his most recent address. A search of his computer and an external storage device revealed that Teichrow had saved at least 15 images of child pornography and had accessed numerous other images. He was charged and convicted in state court for failing to register as a sex offender, and was also charged in federal court for possessing child pornography. Teichrow has been held as a flight risk and danger to the community since his initial appearance in federal court in Fresno on February 25, 2011.

"Every time these illegal images are produced, transmitted, or viewed, a child is victimized," said Michael Toms, Resident Agent in Charge of HSI in Bakersfield. "Addressing this sordid matter remains a high priority for the men and women of HSI, and we will continue to seek out and bring to justice those who mistakenly believe the Internet shields them from detection."

Teichrow is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2011, by Chief United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii. He faces a sentence of at least 10 years up to a maximum of 20 years in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release, during which he will be required to register as a sex offender, and his access to minors, computers, and the Internet will be restricted. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory sentencing factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC mobilizes federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov or call the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California and ask to speak with the PSC coordinator.

####

 

Return to Top