NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

BETH PHILLIPS

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov../index.html

APRIL 7, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PROJECT SAFE CHILDHOOD

INDEPENDENCE MAN SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS FOR CHILD PORN;

SEXUALLY ABUSED TWO MINOR VICTIMS

            KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today on charges related to possessing and distributing child pornography.

            Gordon P. Grant, 43, of Independence, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott O. Wright this morning to 30 years in federal prison without parole, which is the maximum recommended sentence under the federal sentencing guidelines. The court also ordered Grant to pay $19,497 in restitution. Following his incarceration, Grant must also serve a term of 20 years on supervised release.

            On Sept. 15, 2009, Grant pleaded guilty to publishing a notice of child pornography on the Internet, attempting to distribute child pornography over the Internet, receiving child pornography over the Internet and being in possession of child pornography.

            On Feb. 6, 2008, Independence Police Department officers executed a search warrant at Grant’s home. When they entered the residence, his desktop computer was on, connected to the Internet, running peer to peer software and offering to share files with names consistent with child pornography. A forensic examination of the computer found 10 child pornography videos, a large number of partial downloads and a large number of thumbnail images of child pornography.

            Gordon sexually abused two minors and videotaped one incident of sexual abuse, which was considered by the court as relevant conduct in determining the sentence. One child victim disclosed that Grant sexually abused her for approximately nine years, from the time she was 6 or 7 years old until she was approximately 15 years old. A 14-year-old victim disclosed that Grant began sexually abusing her when she was 8 years old.

            This case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Beth Phillips. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Childhood

            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.

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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available on-line at

www.usdoj.gov../index.html