Indictment Charges Michigan Man with Production of Child Pornography in Kankakee

PEORIA, IL—The grand jury today returned an indictment charging David J. Ducharme, 41, current address unknown, with six counts of production of child pornography; two counts of distribution of child pornography; one count of possession of child pornography; and once count of making a false statement to federal agents. The indictment alleges that in 2008, on six occasions, Ducharme enticed a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for to the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct. Further, the indictment alleges Ducharme distributed and possessed images of child pornography in 2010 and that he made false statements to FBI agents in December 2010.

Ducharme was arrested on May 13, 2011, in Marquette, Michigan. On May 16, Ducharme made an initial appearance in the Western District of Michigan and was ordered to remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further hearing which is scheduled tomorrow, May 19, at the federal building in Marquette.

The charges were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kankakee Police Department.

If convicted, the statutory penalty for each count of production of child pornography is a mandatory minimum 15 years to 30 years in prison. For distribution of child pornography, the penalty is a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and up to 20 years in prison. For possession of child pornography, the penalty is up to 10 years in prison. For making a false statement, the penalty is up to five years in prison. Each of the child pornography offenses carry terms of supervised release of up to life following any term of imprisonment.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The 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 May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. 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.