Slaton, Texas, Man Admits Producing Child Pornography

LUBBOCK, Texas — Dale Wray Fulford, 77, of Slaton, Texas, appeared this morning before U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings and pleaded guilty to an indictment charging one count of production of child pornography.  He faces a statutory penalty of not less than 15 years or more than 30 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine.  Judge Cummings ordered a presentence investigation report with a sentencing date to be set after the completion of that report.  U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas made the announcement today.

Fulford, who is in custody, admitted that between February 2013 and early February 2014, he used, persuaded, induced and enticed a female minor, under age 18, to engage in sexually explicit conduct that he recorded on a digital camera.

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’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lubbock, Texas, is in charge of the prosecution.