Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), J. Michelle Morris, Chief, Sebastian Police Department, and Doug Muldoon, Chief, Palm Bay Police Department announced today that defendant Andrew Hallock, 28, of Sebastian, FL, pled guilty to receipt of child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2). Hallock faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment and lifetime supervised release.

According to court pleadings, on May 22, 2011, the Sebastian Police Department was called to respond to a residence in Sebastian, Florida in reference to an explosion. When they arrived, they learned that a woman had been injured when something in her shed exploded. The woman’s son, Andrew Hallock, was arrested for making a destructive device (resulting in bodily injury) in violation of Florida Statute 790.161(3).

Law enforcement obtained a search warrant to examine Hallock’s laptop computer. Forensic examination revealed over 200 child pornography videos on the laptop. Many of the videos involved prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. A thumb drive belonging to Hallock was also examined. The thumb drive contained child pornography as well.

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 marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, 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.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of HSI, Sebastian Police Department and Palm Bay Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaniek Maynard.

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A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.