Grand Prairie, Texas Man Sentenced to Nearly 18 Years in Federal Prison Without Parole on Federal Child Pornography Conviction

DALLAS—Jason Andrew Watkins, 27, of Grand Prairie, Texas, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater to 210 months (17.5 years) in federal prison for receiving child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Judge Fitzwater ordered that Watkins surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on August 24, 2010.

The Dallas Police Department received a “CyberTip” that Watkins had been having conversations on MySpace about molesting a minor female. Through his IP address, they were able to determine Watkins’ address. Officers in the Grand Prairie Police Department began investigating the case and determined that Watkins worked at Children’s Hospital in Dallas. GPPD officers contacted Watkins and asked that he come to the station for a non-custodial interview. Watkins agreed and was interviewed on August 26, 2009. He admitted that he had been downloading and distributing child pornography using the Internet and specifically Yahoo! Messenger.

The GPPD executed a search warrant at Watkins’ home and sized computers and other media. The North Texas Regional Computer Forensic Lab, who analyzed the seized equipment located more than 190 images and 20 videos of child pornography, including videos that included bondage and other sadistic acts involving minors.

This case 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 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 http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Dallas Police Department and the GPPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille E. Sparks was in charge of the prosecution.