Preston Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CURTIS ALAN SPICER, 53, of Preston, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 46 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for possessing child pornography. Judge Thompson also ordered SPICER to pay a fine in the amount of $10,000. SPICER pleaded guilty to the offense on June 9, 2010.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2009, members of the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force conducting an investigation relating to the illegal possession of child pornography interviewed SPICER at his residence. At that time, SPICER admitted that, for several years, he had downloaded child pornography from the Internet. Subsequent forensic analysis of SPICER’s computer and related components revealed the existence of thousands of images and hundreds of videos of child pornography, including depictions of prepubescent children engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Conditions of SPICER’s 10-year term of supervised release include that he must register as a sex offender, and that he may have no unsupervised contact with children under the age of 18.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.

U.S. Attorney Fein noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, and the District of Connecticut’s “Operation Constant Vigilance,” which are aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.