Spokane Valley Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography

Spokane – Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Thomas Gregory Myers, age 45, of Spokane Valley, Washington, was sentenced today, after having previously pled guilty on July 31, 2015 to Distribution of Child Pornography. Senior United States District Court Judge Justin L. Quackenbush sentenced Myers to a five year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a ten year term of court supervision after he is released from Federal prison. In addition, Myers was ordered to forfeit to the United States the laptop computer he used to distribute child pornography and to pay $500 in restitution to one of the victims of his crime. Myers will also be required to register as a sex offender.

According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, Myers was using a Peer to Peer file sharing account to share and distribute child pornography images over the Internet. Undercover law enforcement agents located child pornography files Myers was making available for download and later obtained a federal search warrant for Myers’ residence. On March 5, 2014, Homeland Security Investigation agents executed a federal search warrant at Myers’ residence and seized Myers’ digital devices that he used to distribute child pornography. A forensic examination of Myers’ personal computer revealed 249 video files of child pornography.

Michael C. Ormsby stated, “I commend Homeland Security Investigations for its efforts in successfully investigating this case. The United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Washington is, and will continue to be, committed to prosecuting aggressively and seeking appropriate punishment for child pornography crimes. Prosecuting offenders who distribute child pornography is one of the top priorities of the United States Attorney’s Office.”

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States 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. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:

· Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child

exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;

· Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;

· Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;

· Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and

· Community awareness and educational programs.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Stephanie J. Lister, an Assistant United States Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Eastern District of Washington.