Florence Man Pleads to Possessing Child Pornography

Contac Persont: Bill Day (803) 929-3000

Columbia, South Carolina ----- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Andrew Stephen Jackson, age 44, of Florence, South Carolina has entered a guilty plea in federal court in Florence, to possession of child pornography, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B) and (b)(2) .  United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell of Florence accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Jackson was trading child pornography with an individual in Australia in October 2010. A search warrant was executed at Jackson's residence and thousands of images of child pornography were found on Jackson's computers.

Mr. Nettles stated the maximum penalty for possession of child pornography is imprisonment for 10 years and/or a fine of $250,000.

The case was investigated by agents of the FBI.  Assistant United States Attorney William E Day, II of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of 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, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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