CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 66-year-old Corpus Christi man has been indicted on charges of possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
A grand jury returned an indictment against Bruce Harold Hendler today. He was originally arrested June 1, 2017, upon the filing of a criminal complaint. He later appeared before U.S. Magistrate Jason B. Libby, at which time he was ordered into custody pending further criminal proceedings. He is expected to make his initial appearance on the indictment in the near future.
According to the criminal complaint, Hendler was observed acting suspiciously with a child at a local church and contacted authorities. The investigation led to a search warrant conducted on his digital devices on which forensic analysis identified more than 2,000 images of child pornography, according to the charges.
If convicted, Hendler faces up to 20 years in federal prison as well as maximum fine of $250,000 fine. Upon completion of any prison term imposed, he also faces a maximum lifetime term of supervised release and he will be required to register as a sex offender.
The Corpus Christi Police Department - Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo R. Martinez, 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."
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
