United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

FORT WORTH MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN FEDERAL COURT
TO FEDERAL CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSE

FORT WORTH, Texas — James Wilks, of Fort Worth, Texas, pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Bleil to one count of receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Wilks, 24, was arrested in July on charges in a federal indictment. He faces a maximum statutory sentence of not less than five years nor more than 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces up to a lifetime of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U. S. District Judge Terry R. Means on February 9, 2009.

The investigation began when, in March 2005, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initiated an investigation into an individual in the Seattle area who was distributing child pornography using Google’s Hello program. During the course of the investigation, ICE searched several computers and their forensic investigation led them to James Wilks as an individual who was involved in child pornography. On April 4, 2007, ICE agents, along with Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department officers, executed a federal search warrant at Wilks residence. A forensic examination of his computer and related storage media was performed and agents discovered more than 100 images of child pornography.

The 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 praised the investigative efforts of ICE and the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex C. Lewis is prosecuting the case.

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