FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
September 25, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GREENBELT MAN SENTENCED TO OVER TEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR SOLICITING PRODUCTION OF “CUSTOM MADE” VIDEO OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF PRETEEN GIRLS
Received 4,069 Images Documenting Sexual Abuse of Infants and Children up to 14 Years Old
Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced Jonathan Clark, age 30, of Greenbelt, Maryland, today to 121 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for receiving child pornography, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Clark was taken into custody immediately to begin serving his sentence. Judge Titus also ordered that upon his release from prison, Clark be required to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student.
According to his plea agreement, Clark responded to a U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s undercover on-line operation in March of 2007, requesting a custom made movie of children having sex. Clark sent two emails detailing how two “girls,” ages eight and 11, were to be sexually assaulted for his movie. Clark also ordered a pre-made movie in which a seven year old girl was raped. Clark mailed his payment. While awaiting his requested videos, Clark sent another email asking for websites to view for pictures until he received his movies.
On July 6, 2007, law enforcement agents delivered two DVDs containing child pornography to Clark’s parents’ residence, as requested by Clark. Agents searched, with court authorization, the parents’ home as well as Clark’s. Agents seized 4,069 images and videos found on Clark’s work computer documenting the sexual abuse of children, whose ages range from infants to 14 years old. Clark’s collection included sadomasochistic images that involved, among other things, the bondage of children and the sexual penetration of infants.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Details about Maryland’s program are available at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md/Safe-Childhood/index.html.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Immigration, Customs and Enforcement for their investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacy Dawson Belf and Bryan E. Foreman, who prosecuted the case.