Daniel Lee Rathbone, Child Pornography, North Carolina 2017

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Lincolnton man has been sentenced to more than nine years in prison on child pornography charges. Daniel Lee Rathbone, 38, was sentenced to 112 months in prison on Thursday, March 2, 2017, for receipt of child pornography.

Rathbone was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison. The sentence was handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney.

The investigation into Rathbone’s activities began in June 2015, when law enforcement became aware that he was using an online peer-to-peer network to download child pornography. In August 2015, a search warrant was executed at Rathbone’s residence, and a desktop computer was seized.

A forensic analysis of the computer revealed that Rathbone possessed 181 images and 261 videos of child pornography. Some of the images and videos depicted prepubescent minors engaging in sadistic and masochistic conduct. Additionally, some of the images and videos contained identified victims of 38 different series of child pornography.

Rathbone had a previous state conviction for taking indecent liberties with a child. He pleaded guilty in October 2016 to one count of receipt of child pornography. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

The investigation was led by the FBI and the Gastonia Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 to combat the online sexual exploitation of children.

Rathbone’s case highlights the ongoing threat of child pornography and the need for continued efforts to combat it. The sentence handed down by Judge Whitney is a significant step towards justice for the victims of Rathbone’s crimes.

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