Homeland Security Investigations announced Bryan Morse, 61, of Chadron, Neb., had been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison with an additional 20 years of supervised release for the possession of child pornography, in a March 7 news release.
The sentencing was March 4. Since Morse is being sent to federal prison, there is no option for him to receive parole.
HSI received tips from social media platforms Kik and Skype, alerting the organization that child pornography was being sent on their platforms. Both tips led to Morse, and agents soon obtained a search warrant for his home. The search was carried out Dec. 18, 2019.
Morse, who was home during the search, admitted to using chat rooms to trade child pornography. He told agents they would be able to find various videos and photographs of child pornography on his electronic devices. This was confirmed when the devices were seized and examined.
Morse has two prior convictions related to child sexual abuse, giving him an enhanced sentence. In January 1998, Morse was convicted of sexually assaulting a child. In April 2001, he was convicted of child enticement.
The case was carried out as part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which was started in 2006 to combat the exploitation of children.
