Ohio Man Sentenced on Child Pornography Charge

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated today that Frederick Horne, 74, of Mansfield, Ohio was sentenced today to 27 months for possessing child pornography. United States Chief District Judge William K. Sessions, III, also sentenced Horne to five years of supervised release.

According to court documents, on August 15, 2007, Horne began chatting over the Internet with a person who he believed to be a 13-year-old girl from Vermont. In reality, the person was an undercover police officer posing as a 13-year-old girl. During the chat, Horne sent the undercover officer numerous images depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Horne was arrested in Ohio in September 2007 and he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on June 30, 2008.

The United States Attorney, Tristram J. Coffin, commended the South Burlington Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their work on this matter. The prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Wendy L. Fuller. The defendant was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Elizabeth D. Mann. U.S. Attorney Coffin also noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.