United States Attorney James T. Jacks
Northern District of Texas

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

FORT WORTH MAN WHO WAS ARRESTED IN UNDERCOVER STING
IS SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON
ON FEDERAL CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CONVICTION

FORT WORTH, Texas — Jackie R. Sowards, 59, of Fort Worth, Texas, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge John McBryde to serve 10 years in federal prison and immediately pay a $15,000 fine, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Sowards pleaded guilty in August to one count of attempted possession of child pornography and has been in federal custody since his arrest in July.

According to documents filed in the case, in mid-May 2009, an Inspector with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), working an undercover investigation, mailed a fictitious company’s initial advertisement of child pornography to Sowards at his home address in Fort Worth. Sowards responded by requesting two catalogs that advertised child pornography. The Postal Inspector mailed the child pornography catalogs to Sowards and on June 1, 2009, the Inspector received Sowards’ order for seven DVDs with an accompanying $375.65 money order.

On July 1, 2009, U.S. Postal Inspectors executed a federal search warrant at Sowards’ residence. He admitted purchasing child pornography and paying for several child pornography DVDs with a money order. The affidavit filed with the criminal complaint states that Sowards told law enforcement that this was his first “slip up” since being on probation from Tarrant County for possession of child pornography. Testimony at Sowards’ probable cause and detention hearing revealed that he admitted he was addicted to child pornography and has been sexually attracted to children for more than 30 years.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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 was investigated by the USPIS and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex C. Lewis.

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