FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

WEDNESDAY - January 7, 2008

FAYETTEVILLE MAN SENTENCED FOR RECEIPT AND
POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

RALEIGH - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court here yesterday United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced RUSSELL BIATHROW, 50, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, to 100 months imprisonment followed by a life term of supervised release for receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on August 21, 2008. BIATHROW pled guilty to ten counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession. On April 13, 2008, BIATHROW’s, wife alerted the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office of the presence of child pornography on BIATHROW’s computer. Forensic analysis of the computer discovered BIATHROW had been using peer-to-peer software, Limewire, to download still images and videos of prepubescent children in sexual acts and sadomasochistic abuse. In totally 128 videos and 840still images were found.

Mr. Holding commented: “This case involved a situation, which has become common, where a family member learns that someone is accessing and taking advantage of child pornography. This spouse took a stand, even though painful, which allowed us to pursue the defendant in order to stop the victimization of innocent children.”

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.

Investigation of the case was conducted by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jay Exum served as prosecutor for the government.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.