70-Year-Old Lubbock Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison on Child Pornography Conviction

LUBBOCK, Texas — John Everette Murdock, 70, of Lubbock, Texas, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 24 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in August 2015 to an indictment charging one count of access with intent to view child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

As noted in today’s sentencing hearing, Murdock, an ex-Marine, suffered injuries while serving in the line of duty in Vietnam.  He must surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on December 31, 2015.

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) investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy was in charge of the prosecution.

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