Winsted Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography Receipt and Distribution Charge
| U.S. Attorney’s Office August 24, 2012 |
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that Travis Carlson, 30, of Winsted, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Holly B. Fitzsimmons in Bridgeport to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography.
Carlson was previously arrested on a federal criminal complaint on September 16, 2010.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Carlson used the Internet to trade images and videos of child pornography. Included in his collection of child pornography were images of children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Carlson is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall on November 15, 2012, at which time Carlson faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David E. Novick and Sarala V. Nagala.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, and the District of Connecticut’s Operation Constant Vigilance, which are aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which is housed at the main FBI office in New Haven, investigates crimes occurring over the Internet, including online crimes against children, and provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. For more information about the task force or to report child exploitation crimes, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.