United States Attorney John M. Bales
Eastern District of Texas

FRISCO MAN SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY VIOLATIONS

            PLANO, TX – U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced today that a 61-year-old Frisco, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas.

            JOHN RUSSELL pleaded guilty on Feb. 24, 2009, to using a computer to obtain and possess child pornography and was sentenced today to 78 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Richard Schell.

            According to information presented in court, in 2007, Russell possessed over 600 images of children involved in sexually explicit conduct.  Some of the children depicted in these images were prepubescent and the depictions involved sadistic and masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence.

            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 was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terri L. Hagan.

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