Former Hospital Administrator Sentenced in Child Porn Case

United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that James F. Parks, 65, formerly of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, to 3 years in prison by Senior United States District Judge Richard G. Kopf for possession of child pornography.  After his incarceration, Parks will be required to serve 5 years on supervised release and register as a sex offender.

On June 18, 2013, investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol met with the CEO of Box Butte County General Hospital.  Investigators were informed that the hospital’s IT personnel had been conducting a search of the computer system at the hospital for a malware virus.  The hospital had contained and repaired the virus, however, when they conducted an additional search to find where the virus originated, it was found to have originated on Parks’ computer.  A that time, Parks was employed as the Chief Information Officer.  Upon further investigation they retrieved Parks’ internet history, located where the virus was introduced, and found what they felt to be file names consistent with child pornography.  Search warrants of Parks’ email account indicated that he received images of child pornography in June of 2013 using his email account.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc for more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."