70-Year-Old Lubbock Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography Offense

LUBBOCK, Texas — John Everette Murdock, 70, of Lubbock, Texas, appeared today before  U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy M. Koenig and pleaded guilty to an indictment charging one count of access with intent to view child pornography, announced John R. Parker, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.

Murdock, who remains on bond, faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.  A sentencing date was not set.

According to plea documents filed in the case, Murdock used a computer to access, with intent to view, various images of child pornography.  He used file-sharing software to search for material that was likely to result in his access to child pornography, which he would view and then delete.  Law enforcement seized that computer and hard drive during the execution of a search warrant at his residence in late August 2014.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s 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 sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is conducting the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy is in charge of the prosecution.

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