Army Colonel Sentenced To 12 Years’ Imprisonment For Possession And Distribution Of Child Pornography

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert J. Rice, a Colonel in the U.S. Army stationed at the U.S. Army War College, age 58, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner to 144 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 10 years’ supervised release for distribution of child pornography over the internet.

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the sentence follows a five-day jury trial in May 2016.  The jury found that Rice knowingly possessed child pornography from August 2010 through January 29, 2013, and that he received and distributed child pornography through the internet from January 23, 2013 through January 28, 2013. Rice is currently incarcerated at Ft. Leavenworth Prison in Kansas where he is serving a 48-month sentence as a result of a court martial conviction.  Today’s federal sentence was ordered to run concurrent with Rice’s military sentence. 

The case was investigated by the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and Homeland Security Investigations.  Assistant United States Attorneys James T. Clancy and Chelsea B. Schinnour prosecuted the case.

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