| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 25, 2008 WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/CAN |
SAN JOSE – United States Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello announced that Ernst John Rohde, 63, a former contract employee at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, pleaded guilty on Friday to receiving images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The plea was entered before United States District Court Judge Jeremy Fogel in San Jose. These charges are the result of an investigation by the NASA Office of Inspector General.
Mr. Rohde admitted to having used computers to access images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct from both the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, while employed there, and from his home in Stockton. During the plea hearing, the government prosecutor informed the Court that Mr. Rohde had downloaded thousands of images and videos of child pornography.
Federal prosecutors charged Mr. Rohde with two counts of receiving materials relating to the sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2), and forfeiture allegations regarding three computers and seven external hard drives. He pleaded guilty to both counts and admitted the forfeiture allegations. Mr. Rohde is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2008, before U.S. District Court Judge Jeremy Fogel in San Jose.
The maximum statutory penalty for receiving materials relating to the sexual exploitation of minors is twenty years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and a life term of supervised release. The minimum statutory penalty for receiving materials relating to the sexual exploitation of minors is five years imprisonment. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Thomas O’Connell is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of legal technician Tracey Andersen.
Further Information:
Case #:CR-08-0060-JF
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