Lake Wales Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses

TAMPA—Clinton Duane Pancake (37, Lake Wales) pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of transportation and one count of receipt of child pornography. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years up to a maximum penalty of forty years in federal prison.

According to court documents, in March 2012, Pancake distributed 14 files containing child pornography over the Internet to an undercover agent. In July 2012, Pancake admitted to downloading child pornography over the Internet, viewing it on his computer, and deleting it. A forensic review of his laptop computer revealed numerous files containing child pornography.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visitwww.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”