Pender County Man Receives 15-Year Sentence

WILMINGTON—United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that today in federal court Senior United States District Judge James C. Fox sentenced Bruce William Nott, 58, to 180 months’ imprisonment, followed by a life-term of supervised release. He is required to register as a sex offender.

A federal grand jury returned a criminal indictment on May 8, 2013. On October 1, 2013, Nott pled guilty to one count of receiving child pornography.

According to the investigation, on October 7, 2010, an investigation was initiated by local law enforcement regarding the possible sexual assault of a 4-year-old. A search warrant was obtained and executed at Nott’s residence, where several computers, thumb drives, cameras, and cell phone were seized. A forensic examination of the electronic equipment revealed 388 images of child pornography.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Navassa Police Department, the Wilmington Police Department, the State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Ontjes prosecuted the case for the United States.

This case was part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level. For more information about this important national project, Project Safe Childhood, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.