United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

MONTAGUE COUNTY, TEXAS, MAN SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS
IN FEDERAL PRISON, WITHOUT PAROLE, FOR
TRANSPORTING AND SHIPPING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

FORT WORTH, Texas — Jason K. Ware, who pled guilty in April to one count of transporting and shipping child pornography, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John H. McBryde to 15 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Judge McBryde also ordered that Ware, 36, of Sunset, Texas, serve a lifetime of supervised release following his release from prison, and register as a sex offender. He is also required to forfeit all of the computer equipment and property used to commit the offense. Ware is presently in federal custody.

Ware admitted that on January 28, 2005, he used the Internet to transfer and ship a video of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. That day, an FBI Special Agent, operating in an undercover capacity, entered an AOL chat room entitled “eleven yo miniskirt.” The agent received a message from Ware indicating that he had child pornography to trade. Ware then sent the undercover FBI Special Agent the above-referenced video of child pornography.

On March 31, 2005, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Ware’s residence and during that search, agents encountered Ware at the residence. A forensic examination of Ware’s computer and related storage media was performed and agents found the video that Ware had sent to the undercover agent. Ware admitted that he knew the video he sent depicted a real child who was a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

This case is being brought as part of 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 FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex C. Lewis prosecuted the case.

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