York Man Setenced for Manufacturing Child Pornography

United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the York Police Department announce the following information for the attention of the media:

Event Triggering this Release:

Roy Lee Hickmon, age 45, was sentenced for manufacturing child pornography. The Honorable Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Hickmon to a 240-month term of imprisonment. After his release from prison, Hickmon will begin a lifetime term of supervised release.

Roy Hickmon came to the attention of the FBI during the course of an investigation into the distribution of child pornography through Limewire. Agents of the FBI’s Innocent Images Task Force were able to download numerous images of child pornography from a computer of Hickmon’s by accessing Hickmon’s Limewire account through the Internet. That information was then provided to the FBI field office in Omaha, Nebraska for the execution of a search warrant.

On April 8, 2009, a search warrant was executed at the residence of Roy Hickmon in York, Nebraska. During the execution of the search warrant, numerous items of electronic equipment, referenced in Count 7, were seized by the United States. Among those items were an HP Photosmart digital camera and a SanDisk memory card. An analysis of those items revealed images of child pornography which were taken by Hickmon of a minor female. Hickmon admitted to taking the pictures in Nebraska.

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 (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.

Name of Defendant: Roy Lee Hickmon
AKA:
Age: 45
City of residence: York, Nebraska
Crime(s) Charged and Potential Penalty (A CHARGE is merely an accusation and every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty): Manufacturing child pornography; not less than 15 and up to 30 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, both such imprisonment and fine; not less than five years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
Specific Location of Alleged Crime: York, Nebraska
Location of Arrest: York, Nebraska
Alleged Dollar Loss/Type and Quantity of Drug:
Others Charged in Same Scheme:
Relevant Dates:
Date of Alleged Crime: October 11, 2007
Federal Arrest Date: January 27, 2010
Date Complaint Issued: N/A
Indictment Returned Date: July 22, 2009
Initial Appearance Date: January 27, 2010
Plea or Trial and Date(s): Pled on June 9, 2010
Sentencing Date: September 10, 2010
Next Court Hearing Type and Date: N/A
Assigned Magistrate Judge: The Honorable Thomas D. Thalken
Held without Bond, or Released from Custody: Held without bond
In Continuous Custody Since: April 8, 2009 (including state custody)
Assigned District Court Judge: The Honorable Joseph F. Bataillon
Initials of Assigned AUSA/Preparer of THIS Release: SAR