AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885

FEBRUARY 3, 2006

MEN IN THREE SEPARATE CHILD PORN CASES SENTENCED

BALTIMORE, Maryland - United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein announces that today in U.S. District Court defendants in three separate cases were sentenced to federal prison on child pornography charges.

U.S. Attorney Rosenstein stated, “Children were victimized and abused to produce the pictures that these defendants obtained or distributed over the internet. These cases are an important part of our effort to protect children from sexual abuse."

Clarence Jenkins, age 45, of Hagerstown, Maryland was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Benson E. Legg to three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to electronically transmitting via computer visual depictions of a minors in sexually explicit poses. During February, 2003, the Federal Bureau of Investigation searched the computer of another individual and discovered that Jenkins had transmitted child pornography to that individual. A search of Jenkins’ computer uncovered the image that had been transmitted, as well as other similar images.

Justin Pennington, age 26, of North East, Maryland was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett to 29 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. A search warrant executed at his home located over 77 images of known child pornography and 10,000 images of suspected child pornography. Pennington also admitted that he had a file share program on his computer, but indicated that he did not realize the file share program would randomly select and distribute child pornography.

Richard Mason, age 58, of Baltimore was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Catharine C. Blake to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to distribution of child pornography. A search warrant executed at his home in September 2004 uncovered a thumb drive containing 34 images of child pornography. In addition, Mason acknowledged that he downloaded child pornography from the internet, and was the moderator of several chat groups that he accessed from both his home and office computers. The groups were designed for individuals to share child pornography.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its investigative work in all these cases. Mr. Rosenstein also praised Assistant United States Attorney Bonnie S. Greenberg, who prosecuted the Mason and Pennington cases and Assistant United States Attorney Philip Jackson, who prosecuted the Jenkins case.