United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

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

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

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS, MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO
FEDERAL CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGE

A San Angelo, Texas, resident, James C. Stanford, pled guilty today in federal court in Lubbock, Texas, to one count of interstate receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Stanford, 38, faces a maximum statutory sentence of not less than five years in prison nor more than 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervised release. Following today’s guilty plea, U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings ordered a pre-sentence investigation with sentencing to be scheduled after that investigation. After his arrest in September, Stanford was released on bond.

In a six-count superseding indictment returned in October, Stanford was charged with two counts of receipt of child pornography, two counts of receipt of child obscenity, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of possession of child obscenity. Today, in pleading guilty to one count of interstate receipt of child pornography, Stanford admitted that during 2006 he subscribed to a Web site that made images of child pornography available to its subscribers. The images depicted children under the age of 18 years engaging in sexually explicit conduct and many of the children depicted in the images and videos were prepubescent.

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 commended the investigative efforts of the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy, of the Lubbock, Texas, U.S. Attorney's Office.

###