51-Year-Old Texas Man Sentenced in Federal Court in Louisiana After Providing Link to 350+ Files Including Child Pornography to an Undercover Agent
51-Year-Old Texas Man Sentenced in Federal Court in Louisiana After Providing Link to 350+ Files Including Child Pornography to an Undercover Agent
Louisiana – A 51-year-old Texas man has been sentenced in a federal court in Louisiana after providing a link to 350+ files including child pornography to an undercover agent.
Following his conviction for distribution of child pornography, United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced James Martin, 51, of Beckville, Texas, to 97 months (8 years, 1 month) in federal prison. Martin must finish sex offender treatment and serve five years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence. Martin was also ordered to pay $248,000 in restitution by the Court. Martin will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of his conviction.
Martin utilized an instant messaging mobile application and a smartphone in July and August 2022 to deliver child pornography files via the internet to an undercover agent in the Middle District of Louisiana. Martin transmitted videos and photos of juveniles despite knowing they were under the age of 18. A link to a cloud storage program was included in the child pornography files.
Martin provided an undercover agent with a password and instructions to download the videos and images to confirm that the link was “working and sellable when the time [i]s right…” Martin described a scheme to sell child pornography online throughout his conversations with undercover law enforcement. Martin boasted about his abilities to: (1) profitably sell child pornography online; and (2) employ encryption software to avoid discovery by law authorities.
Martin’s web link included 245 videos and 108 photos of child pornography, including toddlers. Martin also had access to at least 130 videos and nearly 7,250 photos of child pornography via his laptop, smartphone, and a central processing unit tower (computer tower), among other devices.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, and the Panola County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide campaign launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to tackle the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Lead by the U.S. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better detect, seize, and punish persons who exploit children through the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. To learn more about Project Safe Childhood, go to http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Louisiana Woman Arrested for Allegedly Setting Fire to Occupied Motel in Lockport
Deputies from the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s office have apprehended a woman for allegedly igniting a fire in a motel that was occupied
The Department of Education in Louisiana Granted $10 Million to Enhance Occupational Prospects for Students with Disabilities
The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) has received a $10 million grant to enhance job prospects for students with disabilities.
Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office: Two Die in Separate House Fires Over Weekend
The Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office has reported that two people have died in two separate fires over the weekend.