United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Paul Zuroske, 62, of Ralston, Nebraska, was sentenced in federal court for receiving child pornography. Senior United States District Judge Laurie Smith Camp sentenced Zuroske to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender. Judge Smith Camp also imposed a $5,000 special assessment.
On April 4, 2019, a search warrant was executed on Zuroske’s home in Ralston. CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicated that an IP address at the home was uploading images of child pornography. Forensic review of Zuroske’s computer devices revealed more than 8,900 images of child pornography. Some of the images depicted children, some as young as 2 years old, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
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 Bellevue Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
