Richmond, Indiana Man Charged with Distributing Child Pornography
| U.S. Attorney’s Office January 14, 2010 |
INDIANAPOLIS—Charles L. Musselman, 62, Richmond, Indiana, was charged today with distributing and possessing child pornography, following an investigation by the Richmond Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The indictment alleges that Musselman distributed five computer files depicting child pornography on July 1, 2009. On August 13, 2009, Musselman again allegedly distributed three additional computer files. Then, on December 14, 2009, Musselman purportedly possessed numerous pieces of computer media and hard copy prints of child pornography. The names of some of the files are graphic and suggest the content of them are children engaging in sex acts. The indictment also provides notice to Musselman that the government intends to seek forfeiture of cameras, disks, computer equipment and other items seized on December 14, 2009.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Gayle L. Helart, who is prosecuting the case for the government, Musselman faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each distribution count and 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each possession count. An initial hearing will be scheduled for before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
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 Attorney’s 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.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.