Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses

LAS VEGAS—Robert Myron Latham, 58, of Las Vegas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Lloyd D. George to life imprisonment for his convictions for advertising, transporting, receiving, and possessing child pornography over the Internet, announced Greg Brower, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada. This is the first time an individual has been sentenced to life imprisonment in Nevada for a federal child pornography conviction.

“This sentence sends a clear message to predators and pedophiles that targeting children for online sexual exploitation carries serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Brower. “The prosecution of online child predators remains a top priority for the U.S. Department of Justice in Nevada.”

Latham was indicted in November 2006 following an investigation by the FBI that was aimed at identifying persons who were sharing child pornography over the Internet via file-sharing networks. Such networks allow users to search for and share various types of computer files, including movies, videos and pictures. In February 2005, an FBI agent found hundreds of image files indicative of child pornography stored on an Internet site associated with a computer registered to Latham’s residence in Las Vegas. In June 2005, federal agents executed a search warrant at Latham’s residence and seized his laptop computer. Agents discovered that Latham’s computer contained over 500 images of child pornography, many of which were saved in organized folders labeled by name or category. Some of the images depicted prepubescent children, and sadistic and masochistic images.

Following a four-day jury trial, Latham was convicted in September 2008 of notice to distribute child pornography, transporting child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

Under federal law, Latham was subject to the life sentence because he had previously been convicted of a sex offense in which a minor was the victim. Latham was convicted in Alaska in 1987 of several counts of sexual abuse of a minor and was sentenced to eight years in prison. According to the court documents in that case, Latham sexually molested his stepdaughter over a period of several years, beginning when she was 6 years old.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nancy J. Koppe and Rob Ellman.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.