Using Craig’s List To Distribute Child Pornography Results In A 70 Month Federal Prison Sentence For Chattanooga Resident

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On June 13, 2016, Larry Vance, 29, of Chattanooga, Tenn., was sentenced by the Honorable Harry S. Mattice Jr., U.S. District Court Judge, to serve 70 months in federal prison for distribution of child pornography.  Upon his release from prison, Vance will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 15 years.

In December 2015, Vance pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. The investigation that led to the charges against Vance began when Texas law enforcement noticed that a Tennessee man was sending images of child pornography and discussing the molestation of these children through Craig’s List. 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Chattanooga Police Department assisted with this investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra L. Bay represented the United States.

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 U.S. 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.

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