Reno, Nev. - Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada, and Ellen B. Knowlton, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for Nevada, announced that TROY K. CHAPMAN, age 38, a resident of Reno, Nevada, was sentenced in Reno on September 3, 2002, by U.S. District Court Judge David W. Hagen to 37 months in prison for possessing child pornography on his computer hard drive. CHAPMAN was originally charged in a five-count Indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Reno on October 24, 2001. On February 7, 2002, CHAPMAN pled guilty to Possession of Child Pornography in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 2252(a)(5)(B).

CHAPMAN originally came to the attention of the FBI when he began exchanging sexually explicit messages over the internet with an agent who was working undercover as a 12-year-old female. During these internet "conversations," CHAPMAN transmitted pictures depicting underage children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. CHAPMAN also transmitted a picture of himself over the internet, and engaged in internet conversations with two other agents who were working undercover as 13-year-old girls. Based upon these conversations, a search warrant was obtained for CHAPMAN'S residence, and his computer and hard drive were seized and examined and found to contain an extensive collection of pornographic images.

In addition to the 37-month period of imprisonment, CHAPMAN was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit his computer and related items.

The case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Rachow.

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