Acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced that Richard Floyd Sandoval, 38, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, to 10 years in prison by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard, for possession of child pornography. In addition to the prison sentence, Sandoval will also serve an additional 15 years on supervised release and will continue to be required to register as a sex offender. Sandoval was already a registered sex offender after being convicted of Sexual Assault of a Child in Lincoln County, Nebraska, in December of 2001.
In May of 2016, the Lincoln Police Department was investigating computers sharing child pornography files via the internet. On that date, an investigator identified an IP address having files available for sharing and he was able to download child pornography over a three-day period. A subpoena was served on the internet service provider and determined that the IP address was registered to Sandoval’s apartment in Lincoln, Nebraska. Investigators then executed a search warrant at Sandoval’s residence. During that search, investigators found a laptop computer in a bedroom on which they were able to locate files depicting sexually explicit conduct involving children under the age of 18 years old. A later forensic investigation revealed 92 videos in a download folder of the user profile and approximately 66 videos of child pornography in the recycle bin and 38 deleted videos.
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 United States 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.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
