FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MONDAY - August 15, 2011

PLYMOUTH MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGE

GREENVILLE - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court on August 12, 2011, JOHNNIE WAYNE DAVENPORT, 42, pled guilty before United State Magistrate Judge David W. Daniel to receipt of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2).

According to the Criminal Indictment returned on May 24, 2011, DAVENPORT received an image depicting child pornography on December 31, 2009. According to the investigation, in 2009, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office in Wilmington, North Carolina, received information from their sister office in Jackson, Mississippi, that information had been received that DAVENPORT was utilizing Google Hello and Yahoo Messenger to exchange photographs depicting minors in sexually explicit conduct. In July, 2010, a search warrant was executed at DAVENPORT’s residence in Plymouth, North Carolina. During the search, agents seized a desktop computer, an external hard drive and 35 recordable CD’s. Forensic analysis performed later on the seized equipment revealed the computer contained 99 pictures of child pornography and 37 images on the external hard drive.

At sentencing, set for the November 8, 2011, term of court, DAVENPORT faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment. However, if he has prior convictions relating to sexual abuse or sexual conduct involving a minor, he faces up to 40 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.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations offices in Jackson, Mississippi and Wilmington, North Carolina and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Ontjes is serving as prosecutor for the government.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.