GALVESTON, Texas - A federal jury in Galveston has returned a guilty verdict against David Paul Roetcisoender, 72, of Pearland, for distribution and possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. The verdict was returned late yesterday following a two-day trial and approximately two hours of deliberation.
During the trial, the jury testimony from a detective with the Pearland Police Department who explained how he discovered several videos of child pornography over the Internet which were later traced to a computer used by Roetcisoender.
Evidence proved that on June 4, 2012, officers executed a search warrant at Roetcisoender’s residence in Pearland. At that time, an officer conducted a computer forensic preview which resulted in the discovery of thousands of images and videos of child pornography on a computer Roetcisoender used.
At the time of the search, testimony further revealed Roetcisoender admitted to downloading and viewing child pornography since the 1990s.
The jury also heard that more than 2000 videos and more than 100,000 images of child pornography were found on computers, hard drives and other storage devices seized by officers and used by Roetcisoender.
Further, the government proved that he not only possessed the child pornography but distributed it on at least two separate occasions. A Pearland computer forensic officer testified that the file sharing program used by Roetcisoender contained data that specified which specific files had been downloaded by others over the Internet from Roetcisoender’s computer.
Roetcisoender attempted to convince the jury that he did not knowingly distribute child pornography.
The jury disagreed and found him guilty on two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Gregg Costa, who presided over the trial, has set sentencing for Nov. 13, 2013. At that time, Roetcisoender faces a sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment for the possession charge as well as at least five and up to 20 years on each of the two counts of distribution. The convictions also carry as possible punishment a $250,000 fine. Upon completion of any prison term imposed, Roetcisoender also faces a maximum of life on supervised release during which the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect children and prohibit the use of the Internet.
Roetcisoender was arrested on the federal charges on Nov. 14, 2012. He has and will remain in custody pending further criminal proceedings.
The Pearland Police Department investigated the case as part of the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Stabe, was 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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
