United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Kenneth Joseph Jacobsen, 44, formerly of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, to 30 years in prison by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard, for the production, distribution and receipt of child pornography. In addition to his prison sentence, Jacobsen will serve 20 years on supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender. Jacobsen was also ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution to his victims.
In December, 2016, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received a request from an agent in Boston asking for assistance in identifying victims of child sexual abuse believed to reside in Lincoln, Nebraska. Upon a review of the images provided and additional investigation by law enforcement, investigators of the Lincoln Police Department and HSI were led to the residence of Jacobsen, and in December, 2016, executed a search warrant at Jacobsen’s residence. When interviewed, Jacobsen admitted to taking sexually explicit digital videos and images of minor children, including prepubescent minors, and posting those pictures, through emails and internet-based web services. He also admitted to possessing images of child porn.
Forensic examination of items of computer storage media found at Jacobsen’s residence uncovered approximately 16,374 images and approximately 1,444 videos of child pornography, including images of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Of that number, approximately 1,918 images and 125 videos appear to have been produced by the Defendant. Of the videos produced by the Defendant, seven of the eleven victims have been identified from the investigation. Investigation also determined that the Defendant used the Internet, a means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce, to receive and distribute images of child pornography.
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 Department of Homeland Security and the Lincoln Police Department.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
