Former Lincoln Man Sentenced to Over 7 Years for Receipt of Child Pornography

United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that David J. Ellis, 42, formerly of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 5, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for one count of receipt of child pornography. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Ellis to 87 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ellis’ release from prison, he will begin a 7-year term of supervised release.   Additionally, Ellis is ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution and $3,000 to a federal fund established to assist victims of child exploitation crimes.

This case began as part of an undercover operation involving peer-to-peer file sharing.  From September 8, 2022, until October 3, 2022, an undercover FBI agent observed an IP address associated with Ellis engaged in the request for and download of multiple child pornography files.  On December 14, 2022, a search warrant was executed on Ellis’ apartment in Lincoln.  Numerous electronic devices were seized.  A review of Ellis’ devices revealed more than 10,276 image files and 11 video files which depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

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.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.