Humble Area Man to be Held in Custody Pending Trial on Child Pornography Charges

HOUSTON—Larry Don Tillis, 47, of Humble, Texas, has been arrested and ordered detained on charges of receipt of child pornography, United States Attorney Tim Johnson announced today. U.S. Magistrate Judge Calvin Botley ordered that Tillis be held in federal custody without bond pending further criminal proceedings finding that Tillis posed a danger to the community based in part on his having been convicted in 1993 for aggravated sexual assault of a child and a registered sex offender.

Tillis was arrested by FBI agents on Sept. 14, 2009, with the warrant that issued following the filing of a criminal complaint filed on Sept. 11, 2009, charging him with receiving child pornography. According to the allegations in the complaint on July 9, 2009, an FBI agent with the San Antonio field office conducted an online undercover session using Limewire software to download child pornography from another Peer-to-Peer user. During the undercover session, the agent downloaded 26 image files from a computer later identified as being linked to Tillis. That information was provided to an FBI agent with the Houston field office, who reviewed the files obtained and believed, based on his training and experience, that 24 of the 26 files contained child pornography, some of which included minor females involved in bestiality and engaging in sexual activity with adult males.

On Sept. 4, 2009, FBI Houston Cyber-Crimes Task Force Squad agents executed a federal search warrant at Tillis’ residence in Humble and seized a laptop computer allegedly used by Tillis. A preliminary forensic review of hard drive resulted in the discovery of images and videos containing child pornography.

Receipt of child pornography is a felony offense carrying a sentence, upon conviction, of at least five years up to 20 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 to be followed up to a maximum term of life on supervised release during which the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect children and prohibit the use of the Internet.

This 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Stabe.