Man from United Kingdom Sentenced to 12 Years’ Imprisonment on Child Exploitation Charges

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on January 19, 2012, Russell “Kriss” Holland, 33, of the United Kingdom and formerly a resident of Vincennes, Indiana, was sentenced to 144 months (12 years) in federal prison. Holland was also placed on lifetime supervised release and was fined $500.

“Child predators beware—my office is looking for you. We will do everything we can to protect our children,” said United States Attorney Wigginton.

Holland had previously pleaded guilty to a one-count superseding indictment which charged that between June 2009, through in or about March 2010, Holland traveled from the state of Indiana to Richland County, Illinois, and back to Indiana, for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a person under 18 years of age, in violation of federal law.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Southern Illinois Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Olney, Illinois Police Department, the Vienna, Illinois Police Department, and the Illinois Secretary of State Police. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, in which the United States Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with federal and state law enforcement authorities, is actively investigating and prosecuting individuals who produce, distribute, or possess child pornography. Anyone with information concerning the use of the Internet for the purposes of possessing, producing, or trafficking in child pornography is encouraged to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation or their local police department.

The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney George Norwood.