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

FORMER PASTOR PLEADS GUILTY TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES

Defendant was Pastor at First United Methodist Church in Royse City, Texas

DALLAS — Steve Richardson, the former Pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Royse City, Texas, pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez to two child pornography offenses, announced acting U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Richardson has been in federal custody since he was arrested on September 24, 2008, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on related charges in a federal criminal complaint. Sentencing is set for June 15, 2009.

Specifically, Richardson. 36, pled guilty to one count of transporting and shipping child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The transporting and shipping charge carries a maximum statutory sentence of not less than five years nor more than 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The possession of child pornography count carries a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Richardson could also be ordered to serve up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be required to register as a sex offender.

In documents filed in court, Richardson admitted that on December 20, 2007, he logged into his Google “Hello” account and sent an image of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Google Hello software was an Internet service that enables users to trade images quickly, connecting directly (peer-to-peer) to each other’s computers specifically to share pictures. Since the connection was peer-to-peer, there was no limit to the number and size of pictures that could be shared. Once a connection was created, the individuals simply selected the pictures they wished to share — an individual picture, or a folder containing thousands of photos. While connected, the individuals could also engage in chat conversations, thus overcoming the traditional limitation of peer-to-peer software by facilitating both live chat and exchange of large volumes of files simultaneously.

Richardson, using his Google Hello identity “cowboysspades,” communicated over the Internet with an undercover ICE agent in Seattle, Washington. During that communication, Richardson sent an image of child pornography and requested images of child pornography from the undercover agent. When the agent provided an excuse for being unable to send images, Richardson terminated the chat.

On September 24, 2008, ICE agents executed a search warrant at First United Methodist Church in Royse City and seized a desktop computer from Richardson’s office that contained images of child pornography. Richardson admitted possessing an external hard drive that contained images of child pornography.

Richardson admitted that he traded child pornography with other Google Hello users and that he possessed more than 600 images of child pornography, including sadistic, masochistic, or other violent images involving minors.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa Miller and Aisha Saleem are prosecuting the case.

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