Decatur Man Charged with Child Pornography Offenses

Springfield, Ill. – Jim Lewis, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois, announced today that a federal grand jury in Springfield has returned an indictment charging Niles C. Wray, 34, of the 1600 block of North Foster Avenue, Decatur, Ill., with distribution and possession of child pornography and access of a website with intent to view child pornography.

The indictment alleges that in December 2014, Wray distributed and possessed images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  The indictment further alleges that in February 2015 Wray accessed a website with intent to view child pornography, including visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  The indictment also seeks forfeiture of computers and related materials allegedly used to commit or promote the offenses.

If convicted, the statutory penalty for the count of distribution of child pornography is a mandatory minimum of five years in prison to 20 years in prison and a term of supervised release of up to life following any term of imprisonment.  For the possession of child pornography charge, the penalty is a maximum of 20 years in prison, and for the access with intent to view child pornography charges, the penalty also is a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Wray was arrested on Aug. 20, 2015, and charged by criminal complaint with access with intent to view child pornography.  During a court appearance on Aug. 25, 2015, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, in Urbana, Wray was ordered released on bond.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Boyle. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division=s 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.