United States Attorney James T. Jacks
Northern District of Texas

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2010
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

ARLINGTON, TEXAS, MAN DETAINED ON
FEDERAL CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGE

More Than 20,000 Images and Videos of Child Pornography Discovered

FORT WORTH, Texas — U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Bleil has entered an order of detention pending trial for Christopher J. Abbate, 39, of Arlington, Texas, who was arrested last week on an indictment charging him with receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. His trial date is set for April 12, 2010, before U.S. District Judge John McBryde.

During an investigation, officers with Arlington Police Department discovered that a computer at the Abbate residence was receiving child pornography from the Internet. At the hearings today, evidence was presented that on July 31, 2009, during the execution of a search warrant at his residence, Abbate claimed ownership of a laptop computer within his residence. A preliminary forensic examination of the computer revealed that Abbate had downloaded child pornography to his computer as recently as the previous day. Additionally, evidence was presented at today’s hearing that more than 20,000 images and videos of child pornography were discovered on computers and external storage media belonging to Abbate.

An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. If convicted, however, the penalty for receipt of child pornography, is a maximum statutory sentence, per count, of not less than five or more than 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release.

This matter was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. 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 http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/

The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Arlington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex C. Lewis is in charge of the prosecution.

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