James T. Jacks
Acting United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

FORT WORTH MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO
FEDERAL CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSE

FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth resident, John C. Pinkston, pleaded guilty today to one count of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Pinkston, 40, who is in custody, faces a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervised release. Sentencing is set for November 20, 2009, before U.S. District Judge John McBryde.

According to documents filed in the case, on May 12, 2009, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Postal Inspectors executed a search warrant at Pinkston’s residence. Pinkston was home at the time and admitted to law enforcement that he had child pornography on his computer. An onsite forensic exam of his computer revealed more than 100 images of child pornography. Testimony at Pinkston’s probable cause and detention hearings in May showed that continued preliminary forensic computer exams revealed more than 1000 images of child pornography.

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

The case is being investigated by ICE and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex C. Lewis is the prosecutor.

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