San Antonio Man Arrested and Charged with Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography

United States Attorney Johnny Sutton and Ralph G. Diaz, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s San Antonio Division announced the arrest this morning of 61-year-old Nigel Gale, a former Vice President with Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, on child pornography charges.

A federal grand jury indictment–returned on Wednesday and unsealed today–charges Gale with one count each of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Upon conviction of both charges, Gale faces up to 30 years in federal prison.

On March 27, 2008, federal agents executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence where they seized two computers. A forensic analysis of the hard drives from those computers revealed the presence of more than 300,000 images and over 2,500 videos depicting child pornography. Previously, FBI agents took possession of the hard drive from Gale’s work computer on which authorities discovered over 600 images of child pornography.

Gale remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for 10:30am on Monday, February 23, 2009, before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Primomo.

This Project Safe Childhood case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Tracy Braun is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

Project Safe Childhood (PSC) aims to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for physical sexual contact is well-known and serious; the danger of the production, distribution, and possession of child pornography is equally dramatic and disturbing. The response to these growing problems must be coordinated, comprehensive, and robust. It must aim to investigate and prosecute vigorously, and protect and assist victimized children. At the same time, it must recognize the need for a broad, community-based effort to protect our children and to guarantee to future generations the opportunities of the American dream.

A indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.