March 28, 11

NEWS / California Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Charges

WASHINGTON - Charles Douglas Johnson, 47, of Garden Valley, Calif., was sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison for receiving child pornography, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner for the Eastern District of California.

U.S. District Judge Edward Garcia also ordered Johnson to serve 10 years of supervised release following his release from prison. Johnson pleaded guilty on Sept. 21, 2010.

According to court documents, images of child pornography were found on Johnson’s work laptop computer after he was terminated for allegedly stealing trade secrets. The computer was returned to the company on July 27, 2007, and the company sent it to a private forensic lab to see if any company trade secrets had been stored improperly on the computer. During this analysis, the forensic analyst found evidence of child pornography. A forensic review revealed 2,100 images of child pornography that had been downloaded onto the computer between Sept. 27, 2005, and June 18, 2007. In addition, 80 videos of child pornography were recovered.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), PSC mobilizes federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .

This case is the result of a joint investigation by the Folsom, Calif., Police Department; the El Dorado County, Calif., Sheriff’s Department; the FBI’s Cyber Crime Task Force and CEOS’ High Technology Investigative Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Prince for the Eastern District of California and CEOS Trial Attorney Keith Becker of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/March/11-crm-381.html

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