United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS, MAN SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON
ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CONVICTION

LUBBOCK, Texas — San Angelo, Texas, resident, David Allen Crawford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 20 years in prison, following his guilty plea in August to one count of interstate receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. In addition, Judge Cummings ordered that Crawford, 43, pay a $25,000 fine and register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Crawford has been in custody since his arrest in June on charges outlined in an 11-count federal indictment.

Crawford admitted that in 2006, he collected images of child pornography, using his computer to access various sites on the Internet that enabled him to locate and download numerous images and videos of child pornography. Some of the images downloaded by Crawford were obtained from the Internet by using Limewire, a "peer-to-peer" software that allowed Crawford to search for available files to download from other persons' computers, and allowed other persons to search his Limewire shared files to download images and videos of child pornography from his computer.

Crawford further admitted in Court documents that he engaged in a pattern of activity involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor, by engaging in two or more separate instances of the sexual abuse or sexual exploitation of a minor.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov

U.S. Attorney Roper commended the investigative efforts of Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy of the Lubbock, Texas, U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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