NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

JOHN F. WOOD

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html

SEPTEMBER 12, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PROJECT SAFE CHILDHOOD

PLATTSBURG MAN INDICTED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

            KANSAS CITY, Mo. – John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Plattsburg, Mo., man was arraigned today in federal court as a result of an indictment returned by a federal grand jury for receiving child pornography through the mail and for possessing child pornography.

             Jon Patrick Niday, 45, of Plattsburg, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City on September 11, 2007.

             The indictment alleges that Niday received child pornography through the mail between Feb. 21 and April 25, 2007. The federal indictment also alleges that Niday was in possession of child pornography on April 24, 2007.

             The federal indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Niday to forfeit to the government any property used to commit the alleged offenses, including a computer and hard drive.

            Wood cautioned that the charges contained in the indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine Fincham. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Project Safe Childhood

            This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales launched Project Safe Childhood, 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

****************

This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available on-line at

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html