Marion County Man Sentenced To Ten Years For Receiving Child Pornography

Ocala, FL – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Charles Wallace Ellsworth (55, Summerfield) to 10 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography. He also was ordered to serve a life term of supervised release, and to comply with all applicable state and federal sexual offender and sexual predator registration statutes, upon his release from prison. Ellsworth pleaded guilty on August 21, 2017.

According to court documents, between March 2017 and May 11, 2017, Ellsworth received images of child pornography on a file sharing network. On May 12, 2017, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Ellsworth’s home. Forensic analyses of his computer revealed more than 100 images of child pornography, including numerous images of infants and toddlers. 

“This criminal preyed on the most vulnerable in our society, our children,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge, James C. Spero. “We have stopped this predator in his tracks, protecting countless children from his crimes.”

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Orlando Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dale R. Campion.

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 United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.justice.gov/psc.