United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

TARRANT COUNTY MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO
FEDERAL CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGE

FORT WORTH, Texas — James L. Rudzavice of Mansfield, Texas, pled guilty today in federal court in Fort Worth to receiving child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Rudzavice, 44, faces a maximum statutory sentence of not less than five years nor more than 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to a lifetime of supervised release. As part of his plea agreement with the government, Rudzavice has agreed to forfeit the computers and computer equipment, as outlined in the forfeiture allegations, that he used in the commission of all the alleged offenses. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John McBryde on March 7, 2008 at 9:00 a.m.

Rudzavice was arrested on September 24, 2007, on child pornography and child obscenity charges outlined in an indictment returned the previous week by a federal grand jury in Fort Worth, and has been in custody since that date.

According to documents filed in Court today, in September 2006, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) initiated an investigation when Yahoo! Inc. reported that it had discovered images of child pornography and child erotica on a particular internet protocol (IP) address. Agents determined through computer tracing that this IP address was used in Mansfield, Texas, and were further able to identify James L. Rudzavice as the individual who had purchased internet access to that residence.

On December 20, 2006, Dallas Police Department officers, along with inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, executed a federal search warrant at Rudzavice’s residence, and during that search, law enforcement encountered Rudzavice. A forensic examination of the computer and related storage media was performed and more than 10 images of child pornography and more than 20 video clips of child pornography were discovered. Rudzavice admitted he received the child pornography images and videos of children, ranging from eight to 17 years-old, posing and engaging in sexual acts. He also admitted that he saved child pornography to his computer’s hard-drive and that he only received the images of child pornography.

1 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 the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Dallas Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex C. Lewis.

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