Registered sex offender admits to child pornography charge

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 34-year-old Orange Grove man has entered a guilty plea to receiving child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Authorities had linked Cameron Michael Pittman to an IP address that was sharing child pornography.

The investigation began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted authorities that images of child pornography were being uploaded through an IP address originating in Orange Grove. The investigation led Pittman as the one using the e-mail and IP address.

Law enforcement conducted a search, at which time they seized multiple electronic devices from Pittman’s residence. A forensic examination later revealed images and videos of child pornography. Today, Pittman admitted to receiving the images. The large majority of the images and videos located on Pittman’s devices depicted the sexual exploitation of children under the age of 10.

At the time of his arrest, Pittman was a registered sex offender and on probation for the 2^nd degree felony offense of indecency with a child.

Sentencing has been set before U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton Dec. 11. At that time, Pittman faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 40 as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

The Corpus Christi Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; Jim Wells County Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Popejoy is prosecuting the case which 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 PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.