Hurlburt Field Intelligence Squadron Member Charged with Committing Federal Child Pornography Crimes on Base

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Douglas J. Plate, 53, of Navarre, Florida, was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with receipt, possession, and access with intent to view child pornography.  The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that, between August 2014 and December 2015, Plate knowingly received, possessed, and accessed child pornography at his home computer.  It further alleges that, between June and December 2015, Plate possessed and accessed child pornography at his place of employment on Hurlburt Field.  The trial is scheduled for May 9, 2016, at 8:30 a.m.

The case is being investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt.  All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, amy.alexander@usdoj.gov