Repeat Offender from Mount Pleasant Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

Charleston, South Carolina---- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart stated today that Zachary Scott Fasola, 33, of Mount Pleasant, was sentenced to more than ten years in federal prison for possession of child pornography, marking the second federal conviction and sentence for possession of child pornography for Fasola, with his first being in 2016.

Evidence presented in court showed that, on May 16, 2018, the South Carolina Attorney General's Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) section received a CyberTipline Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which had been notified by Facebook of alleged criminal activity on their servers related to a particular email address.

On January 24, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence associated with the email address, which was Fasola’s residence.  At the residence, Fasola admitted to downloading child pornography from the internet.  Law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices, on which 24 videos and 140 images of child pornography were found, including depictions of prepubescent children engaged in sexual activity with adults.

United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel of Charleston sentenced Fasola to 121 months imprisonment and lifetime supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Judge Gergel also ordered Fasola to pay special assessments of $100 and $5,000.

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Dean H. Secor prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States 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, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

#####