Spokane - Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Michael Ferguson, age 42, of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced today after having previously pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography. Senior United States District Court Judge Quackenbush sentenced Ferguson to a 10 year term of imprisonment to be followed by a life term of court supervision after he is released from Federal prison.

According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, Ferguson was sharing images of child pornography with other individuals via the Internet. A federal search warrant was executed at his residence is Spokane, Washington. Federal agents discovered Ferguson in possession of ten images and two videos of child pornography. He was previously convicted in 1990 of First Degree Rape of a Child.

On May 1, 2012, a grand jury returned an Indictment charging Ferguson with child pornography crimes. Thereafter, on September 9, 2012, he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. Ferguson has been in Federal custody since he was indicted.

Michael C. Ormsby stated, "The United States Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Washington is, and will continue to be, committed to prosecuting aggressively and seeking appropriate punishment for child pornography crimes. Prosecuting these types of crimes is particularly important because of the tender age of the innocent victims."

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. The Project Safe Childhood (PSC) Initiative has five major components:

• Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue child victims;
• Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
• Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
• Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
• Community awareness and educational programs.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For
information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

This investigation was conducted United States Department of Homeland Security. The case was prosecuted by Stephanie J. Lister, an Assistant United States Attorney and PSC Coordinator for the Eastern District of Washington.

12-CR-00046-JLQ

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