FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
WEDNESDAY - August 3, 2011
FAYETTEVILLE FUGITIVE ARRESTED
RALEIGH - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that a former United States Army soldier charged with nine counts of child pornography was arrested this morning in Pennsylvania. STEVEN WRAY, 26, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was arrested by the United States Marshals Service Eastern District of Pennsylvania Violet Crimes Fugitive Task Force in the bedroom of a residence in Aston, Pennsylvania, after having been charged by Criminal Indictment. A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on June 7, 2011, charging WRAY with one count of transportation of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, Untied States Code, Section 2252(1)(2); seven counts of receipt of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2); and one count of possession of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(B).
According to the Indictment, the charges relate to alleged conduct that occurred between May 21, 2010, and December 1, 2010, in which several hundred photographs of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct were found on his computer media and hard drives. If convicted, for each charge of transportation and receipt of child pornography, WRAY faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment; if he has a prior conviction relating to child pornography or sexual abuse, he faces up to 40 years’ imprisonment per count. For the charge of possession of child pornography, WRAY faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment; if he has a prior conviction relating to child pornography or sexual abuse, he faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
This case is part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level. For more information about this important national project, Project Safe Childhood, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the United States Marshals Service Eastern District of Pennsylvania Violet Crimes Fugitive Task Force, the United States Marshals Service Eastern District of North Carolina, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Fayetteville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Ontjes is serving as prosecution for the government.
style="font-weight: bold">News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.justice.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.
