U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Protecting national security by enforcing our nation's customs and immigration laws
Report suspicious activity 1-866-DHS-2-ICE
Quick Links
News Releases
February 23, 2009
Western Pennsylvania man sentenced to 78 months for child pornography
PHILADELPHIA - James Stringer, 42, a resident of Sandy Lake, Pa., was sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh to 78 months imprisonment on Feb. 20 for his conviction of distribution of child pornography. Stringer was an active trader of child pornography on the Internet.
Based on evidence obtained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a multi-state investigation on Internet child pornography trading, a search warrant was issued and executed at Stringer's residence in September 2006. Child pornography was found on Stringer's computer, as well as evidence that he had frequently traded child pornography with others.
The sentencing was announced by Mary Beth Buchanan, United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and John P. Kelleghan, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Philadelphia.
"It is disturbing to think people trade in these materials with little regard for the suffering inflicted on the innocent children depicted in the materials," said John P. Kelleghan, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Philadelphia. "ICE will continue to seek out those who sit in the shadows of the Internet, trading in lost childhoods, and ensure they are held accountable for the their criminal activities."
Chief United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose also ordered that Stringer's prison term be followed by 10 years of supervised release. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman.
This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers. Since Operation Predator was launched in July 2003, ICE agents have arrested more than 11,600 individuals.
ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.
Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.
-- ICE --
