Jim Walter Qualls, Jr., Child Pornography, New Mexico 2014

A Roswell man is facing federal child pornography charges after a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) probe revealed he allegedly posted explicit images of a minor female online.

Jim Walter Qualls, Jr., 27, of Roswell, N.M., appeared in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., on July 31, 2014 on a criminal complaint charging him with production and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

According to court filings, a HSI investigation revealed that the administrator for a website banned a specific account from the website for allegedly posting sexually explicit images of a minor female approximately three to five years in age. Investigation revealed that the account was connected to an IP Address subscribed to Qualls at a Roswell residence.

On July 31, 2014, law enforcement officers from HSI, the Roswell Police Department and the Chaves County Sheriff’s Office executed a federal search warrant at Qualls’ residence and seized cellphones, computers, computer-related media, a camera and other items. Qualls was arrested after he was interviewed by law enforcement officers.

If convicted of the charges in the criminal complaint, Qualls faces a federal prison term of not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years. Qualls also would be required to register as a sex offender. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office HSI, the Roswell Police Department and the Chaves County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Artesia Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Shapiro of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

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