Former Biloxi Resident Sentenced on Child Pornography Charges

DAVID S. WENTWORTH, age 54, was sentenced on September 3, 2009, by United States Judge Halil S. Ozerden, United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, to 108 months (nine years) in federal prison and 15 years’ supervised release. WENTWORTH, who moved to Mississippi from Florida, was a resident of Biloxi, living in a recreational vehicle/motor home located at 190 “B” Beauvoir Road.  Following an FBI investigation, which began in Florida in 2007, WENTWORTH was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 20, 2008, and subsequently fled to Texas. He was arrested on October 30, 2008, by Amarillo, Texas police, pursuant to a federal arrest warrant, and returned to Mississippi.

WENTWORTH pleaded guilty on April 24, 2009, to possession of “matter which contained more than three images of child pornography that had been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce....”

Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi, Stephen F. Gomez, stated, “The length of the sentence given to Wentworth is a clear recognition of the serious threat posed by those who produce, transmit and possess child pornography.  The FBI will continue to vigorously investigate anyone who takes advantage of our most valuable asset—our children.”

U.S. Attorney Stan Harris commended the investigative efforts of the FBI. Mr. Harris said the Department of Justice has a national initiative called “Project Safe Childhood” which is designed to focus specialized resources on interdicting child pornography and those who seek to sexually exploit our youth. He noted that “our state has been blessed with very dedicated and skillful investigators and prosecutors who now have a state-of-the-art Cyber Crime Fusion Center in Jackson to help them.”

Further, U.S. Attorney Harris pointed out that “whether it is shipped by low tech or high tech methods, creation, possession, and trafficking in child pornography are serious felonies and among the highest priorities for prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice. Even as the Internet has made some crimes easier to commit, those who seek to harm our youth should know that Internet actions are not anonymous and, in time, their crime will be exposed and law enforcement will bring them to justice with very severe criminal penalties.”