FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008 WWW.USDOJ.GOV CRM (202) 514-2007 TDD (202) 514-1888 WASHINGTON – John Duane Green of Hernando, Fla., was indicted today by a federal grand jury in St. Croix, the U.S. Virgin Islands, on charges of transporting and possessing child pornography, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Paul Murphy of the District of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to the indictment, on or about Sept. 24, 2008, in St. Croix, Green, 51, knowingly transported, in interstate and foreign commerce, one or more visual depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit activity. Additionally, the indictment charges Green with knowingly possessing one or more visual depictions of explicit sexual conduct by a minor that had been mailed, shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce by any means, including by computer. The indictment seeks the forfeiture of the computer used to transport and possess the images.
If convicted on the transportation of child pornography charge, Green faces a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years. He faces a maximum 10 year prison sentence if convicted on the possession of child pornography charge. Each charge also carries a maximum $250,000 fine.
An indictment is merely a charging document and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. The case resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise A. Hinds of the District of the Virgin Islands and CEOS Trial Attorney Alecia Riewerts Wolak.
Indictment 08-1123
Source: US Department of Justice
