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Arlington, Texas, man sentenced to maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison for possessing child pornography

FORT WORTH, Texas - A local man was sentenced on Tuesday to the maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison, without parole, following his guilty plea in December 2009 to one count of possessing child pornography. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Arlington, Texas, resident, Tung Ngo, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means on April 13. In addition to the 120-month prison term, Judge Means ordered that Ngo, who has been in custody since his arrest in late August 2009, serve a lifetime of supervised release.

On Aug. 28, 2009, an ICE agent visited the Ngo residence in Arlington based on a lead from a local ICE undercover investigation. The lead concerned a target at the Ngo residence, who was allowing child pornography to be viewed via the Internet. Ngo allowed the agents to search his computer and related storage media, and child pornography was discovered. Ngo admitted he knowingly possessed and acquired child pornography on his computer from the Internet. He admitted using the search terms, "PTHC" and "preteen hardcore" in acquiring his child pornography.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex C. Lewis, Northern District of Texas.

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 12,000 individuals.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. 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.

This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. 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, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.