Tucson Teacher Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

     TUCSON, Ariz. – On May 22, 2018, Ryan Bono, 37, of Tucson, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto to 87 months in prison. Bono previously pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of knowing access of child pornography. Bono’s term of imprisonment will be followed by lifetime supervised release, with stringent sex offender conditions, including the condition that he register as a sex offender.

     A 2017 investigation by HSI revealed that Bono had been distributing sexually explicit images of children online using file-sharing software.  A search of Bono’s computers and media storage devices revealed that he had downloaded hundreds of images and videos depicting sexual abuse of pre-pubescent children.  In handing down the sentence, the Court found that Bono posed a danger, in part because he had placed himself around children by working as a middle school teacher and soccer coach.

     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, 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 in this case was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, Tucson Office. The prosecution was handled by Carin C. Duryee, District of Arizona, Tucson.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-17-0686-TUC-JAS   

RELEASE NUMBER:    2018-070_Bono

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