United States Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña
Northern District of Texas

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

GARLAND, TEXAS, MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES

Defendant Had More Than 1000 Images of Child Pornography

DALLAS — Gary Lee Jackson, 26, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez to one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas. The receipt count carries a statutory sentence of not less than five or more than 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The possession count carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Jackson remains in custody; a sentencing date was not set.

According to documents filed in the case, On August 11, 2011, a witness reported to the Dallas Police Department that she discovered several images of child pornography on a phone that Jackson had left in her car. Shortly thereafter, officers with the Dallas Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit executed a search warrant at Jackson’s home in Garland, Texas. Jackson was home at the time and told officers that he had lost his cell phone several days earlier and that it did have images of child pornography on it. He also admitted that he had photos of child pornography on his computer, and, when officers conducted a preliminary search of it, they located several images of child pornography.

Jackson admitted that he has a problem of being attracted to children and that he had been viewing child pornography since he was age 15. Jackson also admitted that, earlier this year, he had molested his five-year-old niece in April-May, 2011. He admitted to other sexual encounters with minors and to incidents, when he was a teenager, in which he convinced a three and a six-year-old to remove their clothing for him.

Jackson admitted that he received and possessed more than 1000 images and videos of child pornography

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 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov

The investigation is being led by the Dallas Police Department’s ICAC with assistance from the Garland Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks is in charge of the prosecution.

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