South Dakota Man Arrested and Charged with Distribution of Child Pornography

BUFFALO, N.Y.– U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Jesse Adams, 26, of Rapid City, South Dakota, was arrested and charged by Criminal Complaint with distribution of child pornography. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years and a fine of $250,000.

            Assistant U.S. Attorney Fauzia K. Mattingly, who is handling the case, stated that the investigation began when an undercover agent in Utah received emails and images depicting child pornography from Adams who is a student attending a local college.  According to the complaint, in his chats, Adams described his communications with a nine year old girl, as well as his contact with another fifth grader on the playground.  

            A detention hearing has been scheduled for April 25 at 10:30 a.m., before Magistrate Judge Leslie G. Foschio.

            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.

            The Complaint is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of James C. Spero, Special Agent-In-Charge.

            The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.