June 9, 2010

OVERLAND PARK MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO POSTING CHILD PORN ON INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN BOARD

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Zachariah Lewis, 28, Overland Park, Kan., has pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch said today.

In his plea, Lewis admitted investigators found more than 9,500 images of child pornography and more than 1,000 child pornography movies on his computers when they served a search warrant Dec. 16, 2008, at his home in Overland Park, Kan.

The investigation grew out of information the United States Postal Inspection Service received in 2007 from Europol agents who were investigating individuals in more than 30 countries involved in producing and trading child pornography over Internet-based bulletin boards. Electronic bulletin boards allow users to send and read electronic messages, files and other data that are accessible to all users of the bulletin board and not addressed to any particular user.

Investigators followed an electronic trail from one bulletin board to others and eventually to a Yahoo account that Lewis used to post on the bulletin boards and to download information from the bulletin boards.

Sentencing is set for Sept. 13, 2010. He faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 20 years and a fine up to $250,0000. Welch commended Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Martin for their work on the case. This case is being prosecuted as part of the Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood. For more information see www.projectsafechildhood.gov .