Albion Man Convicted Of Sexual Exploitation Of A Child And Possession Of Child Pornography

          GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Jeffrey Duane Cox, 44, of Albion, Michigan was convicted by a federal jury of seven counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child and two counts of Possession of Child Pornography, U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles, Jr. announced today. The jury returned a verdict after hearing testimony and reviewing evidence during a six-day trial. Cox faces up to 240 years of imprisonment for these offenses; he will be required to serve a term of at least five years of supervised release after his prison term has been completed; and he will also be required to register as a sexual offender.

          The evidence presented at trial showed that Cox sexually abused and exploited seven children during 2012, 2013, and 2014. He lured the children into his home, convinced them to trust him, and then sexually abused and exploited them. Cox photographed and videotaped the children engaged in sexually explicit conduct in his home, personally taking photographs and setting up video cameras to record the exploitation, and sometimes using another person to take the photographs. Cox stored the images and video on multiple devices in his home in Albion.

          This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney's Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.

          This case was investigated by a consortium of law enforcement agencies and departments, including the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Albion Department of Public Safety, Emmett Township Department of Public Safety, Battle Creek Police Department, and Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Lewis prosecuted the case.

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