FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                               CONTACT:  DAVILYN WALSTON
TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2009                                           PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/txe                         PHONE: (409) 839-2538 CELL: (409) 553-9881

JACKSONVILLE MAN GUILTY OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY VIOLATIONS

            TYLER, TX – United States Attorney Rebecca A. Gregory announced today that a 39-year-old Jacksonville, TX man has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges in the Eastern District of Texas.

            BARRY GRIFFIN pleaded guilty to possession of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors today before United States Magistrate Judge John Love.
 
            According to information presented in court, on May 30, 2008, a federal search warrant was executed at Griffin's Jacksonville residence during which a personal computer was seized by law enforcement officers.  A forensic examination of the computer revealed more than 600 visual depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. 

            Griffin faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing.  A sentencing date has not been set.

            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.

            This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Longview Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Ann Cozby.

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