Jace Faugno, 23, of St. Louis, Missouri, has been charged with knowingly distributing videos depicting child pornography, Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. The two-count indictment alleges that the offenses occurred in St. Clair County, Illinois, on or about Sept. 30, and October 5, 2018.
Earlier today, Faugno made his initial appearance in federal court and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was released on bond with house arrest, electronic location monitoring and other special conditions. Trial is currently set for Jan. 15, 2018.
The distribution of child pornography offense carries a prison sentence of 5-20 years, a fine not to exceed $250,000, and a possible lifetime term of supervised release.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The case was investigated by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hoell.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
