United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

JUDGE SENTENCES TARRANT COUNTY MAN TO
30 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON IN CHILD PORN/OBSCENITY CASE

FORT WORTH, Texas — James L. Rudzavice of Mansfield, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John H. McBryde to a total of 30 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography and transferring obscene material to a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Rudzavice, 44, must also register as a sex offender and will have to serve a lifetime of supervised release. He has been in federal custody since September 24, 2007, when he was arrested on child pornography and child obscenity charges.

In November 2007, Rudzavice pled guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography, admitting that he used the internet to download five picture files of minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The investigation began when, in September 2006, Yahoo! reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that it had discovered images of child pornography and child erotica located on a particular IP address. Agents traced it to Rudzavice and in December 2006, Dallas Police Department officers, along with U.S. Postal Inspectors, executed a federal search warrant at his residence in Mansfield. A forensic examination of his computer and storage media revealed more than 10 images, and 20 video clips, of child pornography. He admitted that he received the numerous images and videos of child porn of children ranging in age from eight to 17 years old engaged in posing and in sexual acts.

In March 2008, Rudzavice was convicted at a bench trial after the government presented evidence that in December 2005, Rudzavice used Yahoo! Instant Messenger Service, an interactive computer service, and attempted to transfer to another individual, who had not attained the age of sixteen years, obscene matter consisting of lewd, lascivious, indecent and filthy pictures. Specifically, the government presented evidence that Rudzavice committed the crime of transferring obscene material to a minor in three separate ways; he sent a live “Webcam” broadcast of himself masturbating; he sent an obscene movie depicting what appears to be a minor female being sexually assaulted; and he sent an obscene movie depicting what appears to be a minor female being sexually assaulted by two individuals.

 This case was 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 was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex C. Lewis.

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