United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

Project Safe Childhood: BANTAM RESIDENT SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Nora R. Dannehy, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DENNIS P. MEEKER, JR. 30, of Bantam, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Christopher F. Droney in Hartford to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for possessing child pornography.  MEEKER pleaded guilty to the offense on May 10, 2007.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, in May 2004, a Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent participating in an online undercover investigation involving the use of a peer-to-peer Internet file sharing program conducted a keyword search using a phrase related to child pornography.  As a result, the FBI agent identified a user with a particular email address who was participating in the file sharing program and permitting access to his saved child pornography files.  The email address was subsequently traced to MEEKER.

On August 12, 2004, agents executed a federal search and seizure warrant at MEEKER’s residence.  The search revealed multiple images and videos of child pornography that MEEKER maintained on the hard drive of his laptop computer and on another computer located in the residence.

Acting U.S. Attorney Dannehy noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deborah R. Slater.

The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force was formed in February 2003 to investigate crimes occurring over the Internet.  These crimes include computer intrusion, Internet fraud, copyright violations, Internet threats and harassment and on-line crimes against children. The Task Force also provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies.  The Task Force is housed in the main FBI office in New Haven, Connecticut. For more information about the Task Force, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov