Dallas Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography Offense
Defendant Faces Up to 20 Years in Federal Prison

DALLAS—Michael Priesont, 67, of Dallas, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney, to an information charging one count of receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Priesont faces a maximum statutory sentence of not less than five or more than 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey on November 29, 2010.

According to documents filed in the case, on May 14, 2010, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Priesont’s residence in Dallas, that resulted in the identification of between 150 and 300 images of child pornography in his possession. The images were found on his laptop computer that was seized from the trunk of his car. Priesont admitted using file-sharing software for at approximately two years to download child pornography onto his laptop computer. He also admitted that some of the images depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sexual acts, and some portrayed sadistic and/or masochistic conduct.

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.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa J. Miller.