Scott E. Rouse, 37, of Columbia, Tennessee, was sentenced on April 25, 2014, to 15 years in prison by U.S, District Judge Kevin Sharp, for distribution of child pornography, announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. The prison term will be followed by 10 years of supervised release, during which time Rouse will be required to remain on the sex offender registry and participate in sex offender treatment, among other conditions.

According to the plea agreement, in March and April of 2012, Rouse was found to be using his e-mail to send and receive images and video of pre-teen girls being exploited sexually, including some that involved penetration.

A computer forensic examiner subsequently discovered over 400 images and 38 videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct in Rouse’s e-mail and on his electronic devices. The examiner further discovered that Rouse had been engaged in this kind of behavior since on or before January 1, 2010.

Prior to this conviction, Rouse had been convicted in 2004 of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor in Hickman County, Tennessee; and in March 2008, Rouse was convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor and violation of the sexual offender registry in Maury County, Tennessee.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Middle District of Tennessee. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Daughtrey.