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Rusk County, Texas Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Violations
TYLER, Texas – A 46-year-old Kilgore, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.
Timothy Michael Callahan pleaded guilty on Nov. 10, 2011, to possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis.
According to information presented in court, on Nov. 2, 2010, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Callahan's residence in Kilgore. During the investigation, Callahan admitted to using a peer-to-peer file sharing network, Gigatribe, to download and view child pornography. A forensic analysis of Callahan's computer revealed approximately 477 images of child pornography, some depicting children less than 12 years of age engaged in sadistic or masochistic conduct. Callahan has previously been convicted of sexual assault n Gregg County, Texas.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Longview Police Department's Cyber Crimes Unit and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher T. Tortorice.
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