Bridgeport Man Admits Possessing Child Pornography

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that RAMON PAUL FERNANDEZ, 36, of Judson Place, Bridgeport, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty yesterday, April 6, before United States District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to one count of possession of child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 19, 2009, a Milford Police detective assigned to the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force connected to a peer-to-peer Internet file-sharing network in an effort to identify individuals distributing child pornography. The investigation revealed that images of child pornography had been sent from an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to an account holder at an apartment in Ansonia where FERNANDEZ sometimes resided. On December 18, 2009, law enforcement officers executed a federal search and seizure warrant at the apartment and seized a desktop computer. During an interview, FERNANDEZ acknowledged that he used a peer-to-peer program to download images of child pornography.

Subsequent forensic analysis of the hard drive of the seized computer confirmed the existence of child pornography images and videos.

Judge Chatigny has scheduled sentencing for June 23, 2011, at which time FERNANDEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

FERNANDEZ has been released on bond since his arrest on December 18, 2009. While released on bond, FERNANDEZ has been ordered to have no access to the Internet and to have no contact with children under the age of 16, other than his own.

This case has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Milford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deborah R. Slater.

The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force investigates crimes occurring over the Internet, including computer intrusion, Internet fraud, copyright violations, Internet threats and harassment, and online crimes against children. The task force also provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. The task force is housed in the main FBI office in New Haven, Connecticut. For more information about the task force, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.

U.S. Attorney Fein noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.