United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

AMARILLO, TEXAS, RESIDENT SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

AMARILLO, Tx. --- Amarillo resident, Ronald Frank Chernick, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson, to 10 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Chernick, 57, pled guilty in April to one count of possession of child pornography. Judge Robinson ordered that Chernick surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on July 2, 2007.

According to documents filed in Court, from 2002 until the time of his arrest, Chernick possessed books, magazines, periodicals, films, videotapes, computer disks depicting child pornography. When federal agents executed a search warrant at his home on January 25, 2007, they discovered Chernick downloading images from the Internet onto his computer. Chernick took one of the agents to a guest bedroom in the home and pointed to a computer on a desk and said “that is where you will find what you are looking for.” Chernick then pulled out three compact disks and told the agent that there were more images on the compact disks. The two disks contained child pornography in the form of approximately 360 videos and more than 600 images.

This case is being 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 U.S. 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

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy L. Drake of the Amarillo, Texas, U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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