Former Big Spring, Texas, Man Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison On Child Pornography Conviction

LUBBOCK, Texas — Christopher Aubrey Harlan, 27, formerly of Big Spring, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 15 years in federal prison, to be followed by eight years of supervised release, following his guilty plea in March 2013 to one count of receiving child pornography. Judge Cummings ordered that Harlan surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on August 16, 2013. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

According to documents filed in the case, Harlan used his computer, as well as for a brief time, his roommate’s computer, to access child pornography on various websites. He used those computers, as well as his cellphone, to send and receive numerous images of child pornography.

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.”

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Big Spring Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy prosecuted.