United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

Project Safe Childhood: FORMER WESTPORT TEACHER SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR COLLECTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PAUL HELD, age 69, of Westport, Connecticut, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Mark R. Kravitz in New Haven to 121 months of imprisonment, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release.  Judge Kravitz also ordered HELD to pay a fine in the amount of $30,000.  On March 26, 2007, HELD pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, HELD, a retired Westport school teacher, downloaded numerous images of child pornography from the internet.  At the time of his arrest on August 2, 2005, HELD possessed numerous computers, compact discs, magazines, photographs and VHS tapes containing child pornography.  Law enforcement agents seized from HELD’s residence more than 1000 compact discs, with each containing 3000 to 4000 images of child pornography.  The Government also seized six computers and three external hard drives.

During today’s sentencing proceeding, it was also revealed that HELD had taken and collected voyeuristic photos of young girls, including his former students.

“This is a very disturbing case, and the sentence imposed today is an appropriate one for an individual who, through voyeurism, the collecting of child pornography, and other troubling behavior, victimized many young girls,” U.S. Attorney O’Connor stated.  “Federal laws that target the child pornography trade exist to eliminate the victimization of children all over the world, as those who possess child pornography help to create the market for this insidious practice.  We will prosecute these crimes vigorously.”

HELD will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison.  As special conditions of his supervised release, the United States Probation Office is authorized to monitor HELD’s computer use and conduct random searches of his residence.  Also, HELD must not have any contact with children under the age of 18 without the supervision of an adult that is familiar with his criminal history.

U.S. Attorney O’Connor commended the investigative efforts of the agents and officers of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force based in Burlington, Vermont.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James K. Filan.

U.S. Attorney O’Connor noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit http://www.cybertipline.com.

CONTACT:

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