RICHMOND, Va. – James Edward May, II, 42, of Powhatan County, Virginia, was sentenced today to the maximum allowable sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment in U.S. District Court after his plea to one count of production of child pornography.  Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and John P. Torres, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C., made the announcement after the defendant was sentenced by United States District Judge Henry E. Hudson. 

            According to court documents and evidence presented at court, May sexually abused a four year-old and a seven year-old child and produced child pornographic images using them as subjects during 2011.  The images were produced using May's cell phone.  Forensic analysts recovered a number of additional child pornographic images and videos downloaded from the Internet.  Further evidence revealed that May also distributed child pornography images using his cell phone in November and December of 2011.  State authorities arrested May on possession of child pornography charges related to the current investigation in Powhatan County in late 2011. 

            Dozens of the child pornographic images recovered in the case were identified by the National Center for Missing Exploited children as victims in previous law enforcement investigations around the country.  Following his term of imprisonment, May will be required to register as a sex offender in any U.S. jurisdiction in which he lives, works, or attends school. 

            This case was investigated by agents of the HSI Norfolk office and Powhatan County Sheriff's Office.  Special Assistant United States Attorney Gene Fishel of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc  For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.

 

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