Juneau, Alaska – United States Attorney Karen Loeffler announced today, June 21, 2010, that Robert Armour Sanderson of Hydaburg, Alaska, was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage to 24 months imprisonment and five years of supervised release for his conviction of possession of child pornography.

United States District Court Judge John W. Sedwick imposed the sentence on Sanderson, age 81.

According to information presented to the court by Assistant United States Attorney Jack S. Schmidt, Sanderson ordered two sexually explicit videos containing images of prepubescent children engaging in sexual acts from an undercover postal inspector during a sting operation. A subsequent search of Sanderson's residence after he accepted delivery of the videos revealed 20 additional hard copies images of containing sexually explicit images of prepubescent children.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Sedwick noted the importance of deterring Sanderson and other potential defendants from criminal conduct in the future, as well as the need to deter the defendant and others. Judge Sedwick also noted the seriousness of Sanderson’s crime.

Ms. Loeffler commended the United States Postal Inspection Service which conducted the investigation leading to the conviction of Sanderson.

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 combines federal, state and local resources to better identify, 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.

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