United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Jimmy L. Channel was sentenced in federal court in Omaha for receiving and distributing child pornography. The Honorable Joseph F. Bataillon, Senior District Court Judge, sentenced Channel to a 60 month term of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison Channel will begin a five year term of supervised release.

On June 4 and September 18, 2011, officers with the FBI Omaha Cyber Crimes Task Force observed a computer in Channel’s home offering to share child pornography. The images Channel offered to the public included three videos of prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts.

On March 21, 2012, officers with the Douglas County Sherriff’s Office and the Cyber Crimes Task Force served a search warrant at Channel’s residence. Channel admitted to downloading and erasing child pornography and using specific search terms to search the Internet for images of prepubescent child pornography. A search of his computer recovered 35 images of child pornography.

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 http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov.