DALLAS — Allen Wayne Kirby of Abilene, Texas, pleaded guilty this afternoon in federal court in Lubbock, Texas, to one count of interstate receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Kirby, who has been in a home-confinement program as a condition of his pre-trial release, was arrested Jan. 16, 2007, by federal law enforcement officers after U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings issued a warrant for his arrest in relation to pre-trial release issues. Following today’s guilty plea, Judge Cummings ordered a pre-sentence investigation with sentencing to be scheduled following the investigation. Kirby, 55, faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervised release.

In a six-count superseding indictment returned in September 2006, Kirby was charged with three counts of receipt of child pornography, one count of receipt of child obscenity, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of possession of child obscenity. In pleading guilty to one count of interstate receipt of child pornography, Kirby admitted that during 2005 and 2006 he subscribed to Web sites that contained images and videos of child pornography. Kirby used his subscriptions to these Web sites to download material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. After downloading the images and videos of child pornography, Kirby would copy them onto computer CDs, which he saved and stored in his residence. Many of the children depicted in sexually explicit conduct were pre-pubescent.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/

U.S. Attorney Roper commended the investigative efforts of the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy.

CONTACT: Kathy Colvin of the Justice Department, +1-214-659-8600

Source: U.S. Department of Justice