Former Moses Lake Man Sentenced for Collecting Child Pornography
| U.S. Attorney’s Office March 17, 2009 |
SPOKANE—Today, James A. McDevitt, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Christopher Nicholas Newall, age 47, formerly of Moses Lake, Washington, was sentenced to 63 months in prison for possessing child pornography. After he is released from prison, he will be on court supervision for the rest of his life and be required to register as a sex offender.
In October 2007, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation into an allegation that Christopher Nicholas Newall communicated with a minor for immoral purposes. Information developed that Christopher Newall also had child pornography stored in his computer. The Sheriff’s detectives obtained a search warrant that resulted in the seizure of Christopher Nicholas Newall’s home computer. A forensic examination disclosed dozens of images and several movies containing child pornography. The grand jury issued an indictment on December 4, 2007, and Christopher Newall has been detained ever since his arrest on December 18, 2007. He pleaded guilty to the charge of possessing child pornography on December 17, 2008.
James A. McDevitt, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, said, “This case is yet another example of the fine cooperation and networking that law enforcement have developed to address child exploitation. It also confirms the importance of educating our children to report inappropriate conversations with adults.”
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. The Project Safe Childhood (PSC) Initiative has five major components:
- Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue child victims
- Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives
- Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases
- Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents
- Community awareness and educational programs
To report these crimes, visit www.cybertipline.com or call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s hotline at 1-800-843-5678. This investigation was conducted by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Stephanie Van Marter, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.