Orange, Texas Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Violations

BEAUMONT, TX—U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced today that a 54-year-old Orange, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas.

JAMES RICHARD KNOX pleaded guilty on Apr. 17, 2009, to distribution of child pornography and was sentenced today to 132 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.

According to information presented in court, on Sep. 13, 2006, law enforcement agents executed a federal search warrant at Knox's residence and seized his personal computer equipment. A forensic analysis of the equipment revealed a substantial amount of material containing images of child pornography. Knox was indicted by a federal grand jury on Aug. 16, 2007.

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 Brit Featherston.