KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Greenwood, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to receiving child pornography over the Internet.

Andrew M. Jones, 29, of Greenwood, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Ortrie D. Smith to the charge contained in an April 20, 2011, federal indictment.

By pleading guilty today, Jones admitted that he downloaded child pornography from the Internet by using a file-sharing program and by browsing Web sites. Investigators discovered multiple images and movies of child pornography on computers in Jones’ residence. One of those movies, which is the basis for the specific charge to which Jones pleaded guilty today, depicts a nude prepubescent who is being caned and is obviously in pain. Other images found on the computer depicted the sexual assault of toddlers and of prepubescent victims in bondage or otherwise painful scenarios.

Under federal statutes, Jones is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000 and an order of restitution. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine Fincham. It was investigated by the Greenwood, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc 
For more information about Internet safety education, click on the tab “resources.”

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