United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Willis T. Brown, 31, formerly a Staff Sergeant for the United States Air Force, was sentenced today in federal court for possessing child pornography. United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Brown to 54 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Brown will begin a 7-year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
The Nebraska State Patrol was conducting an undercover investigation into individuals receiving child pornography through the internet. A computer at Brown’s residence was identified as sharing images of child pornography. Two of the files involved seven- to nine-year-old girls engaging in sexually explicit conduct. A search warrant was executed in October 2018. Forensic examination of Brown’s devices revealed five images of child pornography in unallocated space. Search terms indicating earlier searches of child pornography were also found.
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 Attorney’s 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 Nebraska State Patrol.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
