July 27, 2015

Pontiac Man, Robert Thomas Carlson, Sentenced for Possession of Child Pornography

MARQUETTE, MI—Robert Thomas Carlson, 40, of Pontiac, Michigan was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles, Jr. announced today. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge R. Allan Edgar ordered Carlson to serve ten years of supervised release following the completion of his prison term and to register as a sexual offender.

On February 12, 2015, Carlson pleaded guilty to a federal indictment charging him with possession of child pornography. The investigation into Carlson’s activities began when agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations determined Carlson had paid for a subscription to a child pornography website. Agents eventually located Carlson, who had moved from lower Michigan to the Upper Peninsula to begin studies at Northern Michigan University. Agents retrieved a laptop Carlson had used while he was a student and discovered images and a video containing child pornography. Agents interviewed Carlson, and he surrendered another laptop computer, forensic examination of which revealed that Carlson was continuing to view and collect child pornography.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor’s offices, Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following website: www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Michigan State Police, and Northern Michigan University Public Safety investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D. Lochner.