Springfield, Ill. – U.S. District Judge Richard Mills yesterday sentenced Charles J. Pierce of Springfield, Illinois, to a term of 135 months (11 years, 3 months) in federal prison for possession of child pornography. Pierce, 72, of the 6400 block of Brent Drive, also paid a fine of $35,000 and was ordered to remain on supervised release for the remainder of his life upon release from prison.

On Apr. 4, 2010, Pierce pled guilty to possession of child pornography. He was arrested on Sept. 4, 2009, and was ordered detained in law enforcement custody without bond.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Springfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore 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 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.