Peoria, Ill. – A federal grand jury today returned an indictment that charges Jeffrey Price, 45, of the 800 block of North 7th Street, Riverton, Illinois, with one count each of production and possession of images of child pornography. Further, the indictment seeks criminal forfeiture of computer equipment and related items used in the commission of the alleged offenses.

Price was arrested on Oct. 22, 2009, and charged in a criminal complaint. Price subsequently appeared in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Byron G. Cudmore and was ordered detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.

The indictment alleges Price produced images of child pornography from October 2002 through October 2004, when he allegedly coerced a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct. The indictment alleges Price possessed images of child pornography on Sept. 11, 2009.

The charges are the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Springfield Police Department with assistance of the Sangamon County Child Advocacy Center. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison to 30 years in prison. Possession of child pornography carries a statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Both offenses include terms of up to life supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

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 U.S. 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.