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Man Sentenced for Collecting Child Porn

U.S. Attorney’s Office April 20, 2009
  • Eastern District of Washington (509) 353-2767

Spokane—James A. McDevitt, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Randy Zacherle, age 49, of Nespelem, Washington, was sentenced to 26 months in prison for possessing child pornography. He has been in custody since his arrest on February 12, 2007, and will receive credit for time served. He is now on court supervision for three years and will be required to register as a sex offender.

In February 2006, the Federal Bureau of Investigation began an investigation into allegations that Randy Zacherle possessed child pornography on computer disks at his home. The FBI seized two computer hard drives, 44 compact disks and 58 - 3.5 inch computer disks. Forensic examination showed the disks contained over 300 images of child pornography. When Randy Zacherle pleaded guilty in January 2009, he admitted that he had been in possession of child pornography and he explained that he downloaded it from the Internet.

James A. McDevitt, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, said, “Child pornography is not a victimless crime, these are real children continuously being exploited. Just as the child victims are not anonymous, neither are the perpetrators trading child pornography over the Internet.”

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 February 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. 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 case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colville Tribal Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Stephanie Lister, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

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