St. Louis, MO - Justin X. Carroll, University City, MO, appeared in federal district court today to answer to a child pornography charge contained in a federal grand jury indictment that was filed last Wednesday but remained sealed until Carroll’s court appearance earlier this morning. The time period covered by the indictment is November 2015 to December 2016.
In the course of a child pornography investigation involving the internet, federal investigators discovered a group of child pornography sharers and were able to identify Carroll as one of the participants by tracing IP addresses to computers at his residence and Washington University, where Carroll served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.
U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan noted that the investigation only identified criminal wrongdoing in connection with the internet, and did not discover any wrongdoing in connection with Carroll’s University responsibilities or involving students. He also expressed appreciation for the cooperation that Washington University provided in connection with the investigation.
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If convicted, this charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorney Rob Livergood is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
