Ruidoso Man Arraigned on Federal Child Pornography Charges

ALBUQUERQUE—Justin Gray, 33, of Ruidoso, New Mexico was arraigned on a six-count indictment charging him with child pornography offenses this morning in federal court in Albuquerque. The indictment charges Gray with three counts of distribution and attempted distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct; one count of receipt of visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct; and two counts of possession of matter containing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. If convicted of the charges in the indictment, Gray faces a maximum penalty of imprisonment for not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years and a lifetime of supervised release. Gray also will be required to register as a sex offender.

Gray entered a not guilty plea to the indictment during this morning’s proceedings. Gray waived a detention hearing and was ordered detained pending trial.

According to the indictment, Gray allegedly distributed child pornography in October 2010, November 2010 and February 2011. Gray allegedly received child pornography in September 2010 and possessed child pornography in March 2011. Gray allegedly committed all six offenses in Lincoln County, New Mexico.

United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Gray was charged based on an investigation by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlyn E. Rees, brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 case also was brought as part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose mission it is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 61 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies associated with the task force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.

Charges in indictments are only accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.