James T. Jacks
Acting United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

GARLAND MAN ADMITS DOWNLOADING
HUNDREDS OF IMAGES OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY FROM INTERNET

Faces Up to 20 Years in Federal Prison

DALLAS — Joe Henry Lott, of Garland, Texas, pleaded guilty this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney to an Information charging one count of receipt of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Lott, 60, faces a maximum statutory sentence of not less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey on September 14, 2009.

According to plea papers filed in court, on December 19, 2006, FBI agents seized a desktop computer and digital media, including floppy disks, CD/DVDs, and zip disks, that belonged to Lott. Included in the media seized were still images and videos of child pornography that had been downloaded from the Internet by using Limewire peer-to-peer software. Lott admitted that during 2006, more than 600 images were downloaded in this manner.

Lott further admitted that some of the images he possessed depicted prepubescent children under the age of 12 years. He further admitted that some of the videos and images contained sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence.

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

The case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks.

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