Richard Russo, Child Pornography, Florida 2018

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Table of Contents

Florida Paralegal Charged with Child Pornography

A shocking case of corruption within the Customs and Border Protection agency has come to light with the arrest of Richard Russo, a 54-year-old paralegal from Boynton Beach, Florida.

Russo, who has been a Paralegal Specialist with Customs and Border Protection, was charged with receipt and possession of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2) and (b)(4). If convicted, Russo faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a statutory maximum term of 20 years in prison.

Russo is currently being detained, without bond, pending further proceedings. His preliminary hearing and arraignment are scheduled to take place on June 14, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach.

According to the court record, including allegations contained in the criminal complaint, Russo began communicating and receiving child pornography from another individual using a cross-platform messaging service starting in late 2017.

The 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 U.S. Attorneys’ 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.

U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg commended the investigatory efforts of the FBI and BSO in this matter. He also thanked the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Department of Homeland Security – Office of the Inspector General for their assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Corey Steinberg.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.