United States Attorney James R. Dedrick
Eastern District of Tennessee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2008
[Greeneville, Tennessee] -Following a three-day trial in United States District Court, Greeneville, Tennessee, a jury convicted Jeff Francis Tillotson of Kingsport, Tennessee, of three child pornography offenses. Sentencing is set for April 6, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in United States District Court in Greeneville, Tennessee.
Regarding Count One, the distribution of child pornography, Tillotson faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years and a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years. Regarding Count Two, the advertising of child pornography, Tillotson faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years and a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years. Regarding Count Three, the possession of child pornography, Tillotson faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years. Each count includes a potential maximum fine of $250,000 and a period of life supervised release.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Tillotson created and operated an online file server which received and distributed child pornography movies depicting the sexual assault of preteen girls. Three undercover law enforcement agents received multiple movies from Tillotson, who attempted to conceal his collection of child pornography behind an encrypted drive on an external hard drive.
Law enforcement agencies participating in this joint investigation were the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations Computer Crime Unit; the Knoxville Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; the Kingsport Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the United States Department of Homeland Security Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Helen Smith and Robert Reeves represented the United States at trial.
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 the 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.
For additional information, please contact United States Attorney Russ Dedrick, 865-545-4167, Assistant U.S. Attorney Helen Smith, 423-823-5020, or Public Information Officer Sharry Dedman-Beard, 865-545-4167.