FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACTAUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885

JUNE 27, 2007

SOUTHERN MARYLAND MAN SENTENCED TO OVER 5 YEARS IN PRISON ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES

Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Scott R. Davis, age 40, of Hollywood, Maryland, today to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for transporting child pornography on the internet, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Judge Messitte also ordered that Davis register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

According to his plea agreement, on August 23, 2005, an internet user in Chicago, Illinois who had been trading images of child pornography with multiple other internet users, including Davis, consented to FBI agents assuming his on-line identity. The agents were able to determine when and what images of child pornography Davis traded from Maryland to individuals throughout the country.

On five occasions from September 4 through October 20, 2005, Davis sent emails containing child pornography to numerous individuals, including an undercover FBI agent in New York, who had began chatting on-line with Davis via an online chat room. The images showed an adult male engaging in sexually explicit acts with prepubescent children.

On January 31, 2006, FBI agents searched Davis’ residence and accessed his email account. The FBI determined that between January 27 and January 30, 2006, Davis sent approximately 21 different images of child pornography to more than eight different internet users in other states, including Illinois and New York.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit //www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their investigative work in this case. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Fortune, who is prosecuting the case.