Three Men Sentenced in Federal Court to Combined Total of Over Twenty-One (21) Years in Prison For Child Pornography Offenses

            Fayetteville/Fort Smith, Arkansas - Conner Eldridge, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that James Gerald Cain, Edward McMahon, and Matthew McMullen were sentenced this week to a combined total of 254 months in federal prison without the possibility of parole for unrelated child pornography offenses, specifically, Receipt of Images of Child Pornography.  Cain, 53 of Springdale, was sentenced to 97 months in prison; McMahon, age 61 of Lincoln, was sentenced to 97 months in prison; McMullen, age 32 of Fayetteville, was sentenced to 60 months in prison. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks and the Honorable P.K. Holmes, III, presided over the sentencing hearings in the United States District Court in Fayetteville and Fort Smith, respectively.

            U. S. Attorney Eldridge commented, “There is no higher priority in our office than protecting our children.  The sentences announced today send a strong message that we will continue to aggressively prosecute those involved in child pornography offenses.  Those that possess and view images of child pornography perpetuate this despicable trade and empower those that directly abuse kids.  We will continue to fight these horrendous crimes.”

            “Child pornography steals the innocence of children and destroys lives. By downloading and possessing images showing the sexual abuse of minors these defendants re-victimized multiple innocent children, and supported the producers who committed child rape,” said HSI New Orleans Acting Special Agent in Charge Cindy M. Johnson. “Sexual abuse scars children for life, and HSI will continue to use all the tools in its arsenal to identify the perpetrators of these horrendous acts and seek justice on behalf of their victims.” Johnson oversees a five-state area of operations to include Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

            With respect to Cain, in August, 2014, the Northwest Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce identified a computer that was engaging in the distribution of child pornography via an internet file sharing program.  A subsequent investigation revealed that the subscriber information related to the suspect internet user account returned to the Springdale residence of the defendant, James Cain.  In October of 2014, a federal search warrant was executed on Cain’s home where law enforcement seized numerous computers and digital storage devices.  Cain admitted at that time to owning the seized equipment and using it to search for and download images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Further, he stated he had being downloading child pornography for approximately 15 years. A subsequent forensic examination of his computer revealed one thousand images and/or videos of minors engaging in such sexually explicit conduct.  Cain was arrested on December 3, 2014 and pleaded guilty to the charge on February 4, 2015.  Cain was also sentenced to 15 years supervised release following his prison term and a $1,750.00 fine.

            With respect to McMahon, in September, 2014, the Northwest Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning an individual residing in Northwest Arkansas being involved in the posting of child pornography pictures online.  As a result, members of the ICAC Taskforce executed a federal search warrant at the home of the defendant, Edward McMahon, in Lincoln, Arkansas.  At McMahon’s residence, law enforcement confiscated multiple items of digital evidence that contained child pornography.  Additionally, McMahon admitted to law enforcement to owning the seized equipment and to using it to trade child pornography.  A subsequent forensic examination of his computer revealed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.  McMahon was arrested on November 21, 2014 and pleaded guilty to the charge on February 4, 2015.  McMahon was also sentenced to 10 years supervised release following his prison term and a $1,750.00 fine.

            With respect to McMullen, in April, 2014, the Northwest Arkansas/River Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce executed a federal search warrant at the Fort Smith residence of McMullen related to the possession and distribution of child pornography.  While at the scene, the defendant admitted to downloading child pornography from the internet.  A subsequent forensic examination of his computer revealed over 400 videos of minors engaging in sex acts.  McMullen was arrested on December 2, 2014 and pleaded guilty to the charge on January 20, 2015.  At sentencing, the Government presented the Court with evidence that many of the minors depicted were under 10 years of age. McMullen was also sentenced to five years supervised released following his prison term.

            These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Northwest Arkansas and River Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Dustin Roberts prosecuted the cases for the United States.

            These cases were 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and their Criminal Division Child Exploitation and Obscenity Sections (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.

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            Related court documents may be found on Public Access to Electronic Records Website @www.Pacer.gov