FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	CONTACT: Lauren Horwood
June 9, 2011	PHONE: (916) 554-2706
www.usdoj.gov/usao/cae	usacae.edcapress@usdoj.gov

FRESNO, Calif. — United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Jimmie Joe Montoya, 59, of Clovis, was arrested after a federal grand jury in Fresno returned a two-count indictment today charging him with possession of child pornography.

According to the indictment, Montoya possessed child pornography on his computer and other electronic storage devices.

"Every time an image of child pornography is viewed, an innocent child is exploited," said Paul Leonardi, resident agent in charge of the ICE Homeland Security Investigations office in Fresno. "We will continue to dedicate our resources to investigate those individuals who commit this type of crime and ensure they are brought to justice."

If convicted, Montoya faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. 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.

The charges in the indictment are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the result of Operation Direct Connect, an extensive series of investigations by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which includes the Fresno Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Madera County Sheriff's Office, and the Fresno County Sheriff's Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.

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.

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