Urbana, Ill. – A Tuscola, Illinois man, Randy Maulding, 45, was sentenced today to serve 20 years in federal prison for receiving, distributing and possessing images of child pornography. Chief U.S. District Judge Michael P. McCuskey further ordered that, after serving the prison sentence, Maulding remain on supervised release for life. Maulding has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his bond was revoked in October 2007.

On November 28, 2007, a jury convicted Maulding of the offenses. Evidence presented by the government demonstrated that the defendant’s child pornography included images of sadistic behavior, rape and torture. Evidence was also presented that the defendant distributed child pornography through a peer-to-peer, file-sharing network.

The charges were the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a Decatur Police Department officer on detail to assist ICE, and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin S. Bruce prosecuted the case.

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.