Winnsboro Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Offense

TYLER, TX—U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced today that a 31-year-old Winnsboro, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas.

RYAN HEATH CLARK pleaded guilty on Aug. 25, 2009, to an Information charging him with possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison on Feb. 25, 2010, by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Schneider. Clark was also ordered to forfeit his laptop computer.

According to information presented in court, on Mar. 24, 2009, law enforcement agents executed a federal search warrant at Clark's residence in Winnsboro and seized personal computer equipment. A forensic analysis of the computer equipment revealed the presence of material involving the sexual exploitation of children. Clark was found to be in possession of over 3800 images and 232 videos of material involving child pornography, which had been shipped to him through interstate and foreign commerce.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Baldwin.