Retired CHP Officer Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Timothy Allen Horwath, 53, formerly of Redding, pleaded guilty today to receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between Feb. 25, 2019, and Oct. 10, 2019, Horwath knowingly received visual depictions of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. At the time of his offense, Horwath was employed as a patrol officer by the California Highway Patrol. Horwath’s pretrial release was revoked on Feb. 24, 2023, after he violated his bond conditions by accessing the internet and using smart phones and tablet computers that he was prohibited from possessing. Horwath agreed to deposit $75,000 into the Court’s financial registry to be used to pay any court-ordered restitution to victims, assessments, and other financial penalties.

This case is the product of an investigation by the California Highway Patrol’s Computer Crime Investigation Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina McCall is prosecuting the case.

Horwath is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 22, 2023, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Horwath faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and restitution to the victims of the offense. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.