Hamilton Man Pleads Guilty to Looking at Child Pornography on Church Computer

CINCINNATI—Albert Jefferson Stone, age 29, of Hamilton, pleaded guilty in United States District Court here today to one count of possession of child pornography and admitted viewing child pornography on a church computer.

Gregory G. Lockhart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Keith L. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Field Division (FBI) announced the plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott.

On February 19, 2008, an undercover agent with the FBI field office in New Orleans discovered images of child pornography via peer-to-peer software from an IP address assigned to a church in Hamilton, Ohio. Also, on February 25, 2008, the same undercover agent with FBI, New Orleans, as well as an undercover agent with FBI, Houston, discovered additional images of child pornography from the same IP address.

FBI Agents in Cincinnati went to the church on April 29, 2008. The pastor of the church permitted agents to retrieve and perform searches of the computers. The initial search of one of the computers indicated the presence of file names consistent with child pornography images. Agents were permitted to take the computer for further analysis. Forensic analysis of the church computer identified more than ten, but fewer than 150, images of child pornography, among other items.

“In today’s hearing, Stone admitted that he used a church computer to view and possess child pornography,” Lockhart said.

Lockhart commended the FBI agents who conducted the investigation, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Muncy, who is prosecuting the case.