United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

Project Safe Childhood: STORRS MAN SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR RECEIVING AND DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Nora R. Dannehy, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DENNIS P. HARTIGAN, 57, of Ridge Circle, Storrs, Connecticut, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release.  On January 22, 2008, HARTIGAN pleaded guilty to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, in October 2006, a Special Agent from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initiated a federal investigation following the execution of a state search and seizure warrant in Yuma, Arizona, during which computer components were seized and an individual was arrested for sending and receiving child pornography images over the Internet.  As a result, ICE agents identified a user with a particular email address who was participating in the email trafficking of child pornography files.  The email address subsequently was traced to HARTIGAN.  On July 2, 2007, agents executed a federal search and seizure warrant at HARTIGAN’s residence.  The search revealed multiple images and videos of child pornography that HARTIGAN maintained on the hard drive of his personal computer located in the residence.  A second computer, which HARTIGAN utilized for union work pursuant to his employment in dining services at the University of Connecticut, did not contain any illegal images.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deborah R. Slater.

Acting U.S. Attorney Dannehy noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov