Escambia High School Teacher Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA - -  United States Attorney Pamela C. Marsh announced that Jeffrey B. Richards, age 63, of Milton, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with the distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography.

The criminal complaint, sworn to by a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, alleges that between December 2012 and December 2013, Richards utilized peer-to-peer software to share hundreds of images of child pornography online. 

            Richards made his initial appearance on the criminal complaint today before United States Magistrate Judge Charles J. Kahn, Jr.

            The complaint was a result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Pensacola Police Department and other members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Goldberg.

A criminal complaint is merely a preliminary allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law. All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless the government proves their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury at trial.