United States Attorney James T. Jacks
Northern District of Texas

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

DALLAS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO
FEDERAL CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSE

DALLAS — Monte Melugin, 24, of Dallas, pleaded guilty this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney to an Information charging one count of receiving child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Melugin faces a maximum statutory sentence of not less than five or more than 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervised release. Melugin will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ed Kindeade on March 9, 2011.

According to filed documents, the investigation involving Melugin began in Miami, Florida, where an FBI agent, working in an undercover capacity, queried a peer-to-peer network and observed an individual using the name “SKITTLES16" logged on to the network; it was later determined that SKITTLES16 was Melugin. When the undercover agent browsed Melugin’s shared folders, he observed approximately 1250 image and video files with names indicative of child pornography. The agent downloaded 18 of those files and all 18 depicted child pornography.

A federal search warrant was executed at Melugin’s residence; he was not home at the time of the search, but was interviewed at work by the FBI. During the interview, when asked if he understood what it meant to share files and that he was purposely sharing child pornography with others on the Internet, he said, “you have to give to get.”

Melugin’s computer and other digital media were seized and analyzed by the North Texas Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory (NTCFL). As a result of the analysis, the case agent would testify that she identified more than 600 images and videos of child pornography on his computer. Melugin admitted that he received and possessed images that included bondage and other sadistic acts involving minors.

This case 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 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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