Alton Man Charged with Child Pornography Offenses

An Alton man was arraigned in federal court on March 2, 2012 on a three-count indictment charging him with receipt of child pornography (count one), distribution of child pornography (count two), and possession of child pornography (count three), the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Robert P. Ridenour, 37, of Alton, Illinois, faces, as to counts one and two, a term of imprisonment of not less than 15 years, but not more than 40 years; a fine up to $250,000; and a term of supervised release of five years to life. If convicted on count three, Ridenour faces a term of imprisonment of not less than 10 years, but not more than 20 years; a fine up to $250,000; and a term of supervised release of five years to life. Ridenour’s trial is scheduled for April 23, 2012 in federal court in East St. Louis. Ridenour was ordered detained, that is, held without bond, pending trial.

United States Attorney Wigginton credited the fact that he could bring this case in federal court to the cooperation and assistance of Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons and his staff in working closely with the United States Attorney’s Office. “This increased level of cooperation between federal and state authorities gives all of the people of Southern Illinois more ‘bang for their bucks’ in bringing offenders to justice,” noted United States Attorney Wigginton.

The indictment alleges in count one that, on or about October 30, 2011, Ridenour received images of child pornography via the Internet; in count two, that on or about September 15, 2011, Ridenour distributed images of child pornography; and in count three, that on or about November 1, 2011, Ridenour possessed numerous images and/or videos depicting child pornography.

An indictment is merely the method by which federal charges are lodged. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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.

The case was investigated by the Alton Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Metro East Cyber Crimes and Analysis Task Force. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.