FRESNO, Calif. - Daniel James Owen, 28, of Fresno, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii to 10 years in prison for possessing child pornography, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, on Dec. 23, 2012, Owen possessed eight separate images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The images also involved the portrayal of sadistic, masochistic, and other depictions of violence, and included depictions of pre-pubescent minors. Owen pleaded guilty to this charge on Feb. 27, 2015. In light of a prior conviction, Owen faced a minimum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task force, specifically the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Brian W. Enos prosecuted the case.
This case 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources" tab for information about Internet safety education.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
