United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Nathan Young, age 22 of Columbus, Nebraska, was sentenced in United States District Court in Omaha for Receiving Child Pornography.  The Honorable Laurie Smith Camp sentenced Young to 12 years in prison.  There is no parole in the federal system.  After his release from prison Young will be under a 25 year term of supervised release.    

Young was a registered sex offender living in Columbus, Nebraska, in September, 2011.  He was required to register based on a military conviction relating to child pornography.  A parent of a middle school child advised law enforcement that her daughter and a number of other middle school girls had befriended Young on Facebook.  A number of children were interviewed by detectives of the Columbus Police Department regarding their contacts with Young. 

Investigators obtained a search warrant for Young’s residence.  A search of Young’s computer and other electronic media revealed a series of texts and photos exchanged between Young and a middle school girl. At Young’s request the minor sent a series of photos from her cell phone culminating in sexually explicit depictions.   Young received these images between August and September 20, 2011.

The case was investigated and assisted by the Columbus Police Department, the Nebraska State Patrol and the Platte County Attorney’s Office.  

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.

Return to Top