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Press Release

Henderson Man Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison For Child Pornography Convictions

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Nevada

            LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Henderson man convicted by a federal jury in February of multiple child pornography offenses, was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison and lifetime supervised release, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.
           
            Richard Carl Brown, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert C. Jones.  Brown was convicted on Feb. 15, 2013, of one count of advertising child pornography, one count of transporting child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.  The federal penalty for the advertising count mandated a sentence of at least 15 years in prison. 

“Thousands of children, including large numbers of runaway and homeless youth, are exploited in the production and distribution of pornographic materials,” said U.S. Attorney Bogden.  “These children are re-victimized for the rest of their lives, as these materials are repeatedly circulated electronically.  We will continue to aggressively pursue these defendants who attempt to exploit our children.”

According to the court records and evidence introduced at trial, in September 2011, a Henderson Police Department (HPD) detective initiated an undercover investigation into the possession and online distribution of child pornography.  The detective identified an internet protocol address which had numerous files containing child pornography available for sharing on an online network known as Gnutella.  Further investigation determined that Brown was the account holder of the internet address. 

In October 2011, HPD detectives executed a search warrant at Brown’s house and seized computer equipment.  A forensic analysis of the equipment revealed that it contained at least 24,950 images of child pornography, including videos and still images.

The defendant had worked in the computer services industry in the Las Vegas area from 2005 to 2011, and has no prior known felony convictions.

The case was investigated by the Henderson Police Department (HPD) in conjunction with the Southern Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amber M. Craig and Roger Yang. 

The 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."

Updated January 29, 2015

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