The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced on June 2 that a 32-year-old man from Lochbuie was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. Twenty-five additional years of supervised release will follow the jail time. This sentence is the result of a plea agreement.
The prosecution’s case
The defendant used an online platform in 2021 to chat with someone unknown to them, claiming he had access to a six-year-old, whom he regularly sexually assaulted. The unknown person was an FBI undercover agent. The two engaged in a series of exchanges, and the defendant sent the agent a photo of the minor child, claiming that he would abuse the child again soon, possibly that night.
During the exchange, the agent obtained the defendant’s IP address and notified Lochbuie Police, who immediately obtained a search warrant and searched the man’s home and bedroom. The defendant admitted to officers that he sexually abused the child and made pornographic images. During its investigation, police obtained evidence on electronic devices, which included pornographic images and evidence that he distributed them online to others. The man’s access to the child was unknown to the parents or guardians.
Part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative
The Department of Justice launched Project Safe Childhood nationally in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. It coordinates federal, state and local law enforcement, with the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section coordinating it. An assistant U.S. attorney handled the prosecution.
The amount of resources put into these cases is substantial, and the sentencing of the Lochbuie man is typical; moreover, the defendants are often considered by friends, family and community members to be guilty before the judge ever hands down a sentence. A strong legal defense can protect the defendant’s right to a fair trial and better ensure that the sentence reflects the true scope of the illegal actions.