Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on November 14, 2011, Stewart C. Bozarth, 28, of West Frankfort, IL, was charged in an Indictment returned by a Federal Grand Jury sitting in Benton, IL, that on June 4, 2010, Bozarth possessed child pornography on his computer, including video clips identified and described in graphic detail in the Indictment.

Please Note - An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

Bozarth was arraigned on November 14, 2011. His trial is scheduled for January 16, 2012, in United States District Court in Benton. If convicted, Bozarth faces up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and from 5 years to a lifetime term of supervised release to follow any incarceration.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the United States Secret Service Southern Illinois Cyber Crime Unit in cooperation with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, the Benton, Illinois, Police Department, the United States Marshal Service, and the Illinois State Police.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, in which the United States Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with federal and state law enforcement authorities, is actively investigating and prosecuting individuals who produce, distribute, or possess child pornography. Anyone with information concerning the use of the Internet for the purposes of possessing, producing, or trafficking in child pornography is encouraged to contact the United States Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or their local police department.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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