Local Middle School Teacher Pleads Guilty To Receipt And Possession Of Child Pornography

United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced today that Timothy James Hensley, a local middle school teacher at Bell Middle School, pled guilty today in federal court in San Diego to a five count indictment charging him with receipt and possession of child pornography. Hensley entered his guilty plea before United States Magistrate Judge Bernard G. Skomal, subject to final acceptance of the plea by United States District Court Judge Irma E. Gonzalez, at or before the time of sentencing.

As part of his guilty plea, Hensley admitted to receiving images of a minor female approximately 10 years of age engaged in sexually explicit conduct as well as to possessing an IMac computer and computer disks containing images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2) and (4)(B). According to court records, several of these images depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant was arrested by special agents with Homeland Security Investigations on January 15, 2013, following the execution of a federal search warrant at Hensley’s residence.

Hensley is scheduled to appear for sentencing before Judge Gonzalez on August 12, 2013, at 9:00 a.m.

This case stems from an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.

This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, and ICE's Operation Predator, both are nationwide initiatives launched 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." For more information about on Operation Predator, please visit www.ice.gov

DEFENDANT		Criminal Case No. 13cr0393-IEG
Timothy James Hensley
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Three Counts: Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2) (Receipt of Child Pornography) Maximum Penalties: Mandatory minimum 5 years’ incarceration to 20 years per count, mandatory minimum of 5 years’ incarceration, $250,000 fine, a minimum of 5 years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and registration as a sex offender Two Counts: Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(B) - Possession of Child Pornography Maximum penalties: 20 years in prison; a $250,000 fine; and a minimum of 5 years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and registration as a sex offender.
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations