FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

THURSDAY - July 7, 2011

FORMER CAMP LEJEUNE MARINE RECEIVES FEDERAL SENTENCE IN CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASE

RALEIGH - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court yesterday United States District Judge James C. Dever III, sentenced SHAWN MICHAEL DIXON, 21, to 126 months’ imprisonment followed by a lifetime of supervised release. The Court also ordered that he register as a sex offender.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on September 23, 2010. On March 21, 2011, DIXON pled guilty to attempting to entice a child to engage in illegal sexual conduct, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b).

In December, 2009, DIXON, met a 12-year-old in a chat room online. The relationship progressed with sexually explicit conversations and acts via live online video. In April, 2010, a meeting was arranged with the intent of having sex. A family member discovered the planned meeting and notified authorities.

This case was 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 Naval Criminal Investigative Services and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Ontjes represented 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.