Lavaca County EMS Worker Sentenced For Possessing Child Pornography

VICTORIA, Texas - David Waldrop, 56, of Luling, has been ordered to prison for more than six years for possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson.

Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey sentenced Waldrop to 76 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by 10 years of supervised release. During the hearing today, the court considered the lasting harm done to the victim as well as the need to protect the public.

Waldrop had come to the attention of law enforcement when co-workers at the Lavaca County EMS discovered a thumb drive inserted into a work computer and saw an image of child pornography on the screen. The thumb drive was later determined to belong to Waldrop.A second thumb drive was also discovered at the work station. 

Forensic analysis led to the discovery of dozens of images of child pornography, hundreds of images of child erotica and dozens of child rape/incest stories, some of which appear to have been written by Waldrop himself. In addition to child exploitation material, the forensic examination revealed numerous personal connections between Waldrop and the devices which clearly identified him as the user and owner of them.

Waldrop was later interviewed by law enforcement, at which time he admitted ownership of the devices and responsibility for the child pornography and other exploitation material found.

The case was investigated by the Lavaca County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Attorney General’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.

This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Duke, 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."