Reserve Man Sentenced for Distribution of Child Pornography

U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that KIRK P. WEBER, age 54, of Reserve, was sentenced today for crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children.

Chief Judge Sarah Vance sentenced WEBER to five years imprisonment followed by 20 years of supervised release.  Additionally, WEBER will be required to register as a sex offender pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

According to court records, from May 14, 2013 to October 24, 2013, WEBER knowingly used a popular social networking website to distribute images depicting the sexual victimization of minors.   During the investigation, federal investigators determined that WEBER used multiple email accounts to receive and download sexually explicit images of minors. WEBER pled guilty on June 4, 2014, and has been in federal custody since his February 7, 2014 arrest.         

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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, HIS in investigating this matter.  Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Fraud Section Chief, Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba was in charge of the prosecution.