Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

WASHINGTON—Jeffrey Klenk, 24, of Alexandria, Virginia, has pled guilty to federal charges of distribution and possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen, Jr.; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), announced today.

Klenk entered the guilty plea on June 12, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Richard J. Leon is to sentence him on September 12, 2013. Klenk faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for distribution of child pornography and up to 10 years in prison on the possession charge, as well as financial penalties. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for a minimum of 25 years.

According to the government’s evidence, in September and October 2012, Klenk contacted a man he believed to be the father of an adolescent girl on a social network site. That man turned out to be an undercover officer with the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. Over a month-long period, Klenk engaged in online e-mail and instant message conversations with the undercover officer.

During this period of time, Klenk used the computer at his home to send the undercover officer a total of 45 unique images of child pornography, as well as several pictures of child erotica and clothed and unclothed children. On October 18, 2012, Klenk’s residence was searched pursuant to a warrant, and various items were seized, including videos of child pornography. Klenk was arrested that day. All told, officers recovered approximately 13 videos and over 325 images of child pornography from the defendant’s computers and computer equipment.

This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s 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.justice.gov/psc.

In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Chief Lanier praised the work of the MPD detectives and special agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force who investigated the case. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassidy Kesler Pinegar, who is prosecuting the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine K. Connelly, who is assisting with forfeiture issues.