FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, June 18, 2012

FRESNO, Calif. — James Robert Vaughn, 26, of Fresno, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii to 14 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for receiving child pornography, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to court documents, Vaughn received over the Internet more than 300 videos and 1,500 images depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The images and videos portrayed sadistic, masochistic, and violent activity. Many of the minors depicted were prepubescent minors. Vaughn has been in custody since a federal grand jury indicted him for this offense in January 2012.

This case is the result of an extensive investigation by the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, specifically the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorney Brian W. Enos prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please 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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