Hardin County Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Violations

BEAUMONT, Texas – A Silsbee man has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.

Michael Joseph Fontenot, 51, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.

According to public information, an investigation by the Denver Innocent Images Task Force into individuals viewing and downloading child pornography through a social media application led to Fontenot in Hardin County, Texas.  A search warrant was executed by federal law enforcement at Fontenot’s residence and several electronic devices were seized, including a cell phone, tablet, flash drives and a laptop.  A forensic review of the items revealed over 600 images of child pornography.

This case was 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 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.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.

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