John David Knowlton, Child Pornography, Texas 2019

Galveston Man Convicted of Child Pornography Crimes

A 56-year-old resident of Galveston has been found guilty of receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. found John David Knowlton guilty following a two-day bench trial that concluded on August 28, 2019. Knowlton faces a minimum of five and up to 20 years for the receipt of child pornography and up to 10 years imprisonment for the possession charge.

The court heard testimony from multiple law enforcement officers and a Comcast custodian of records. In February 2016, law enforcement conducted an online session using a publicly available peer-to-peer file-sharing network and located an IP address whose share folder contained images of child pornography. The IP address was associated with Knowlton's residence.

When law enforcement searched his home, they discovered more than a dozen electronic devices belonging to him that contained child pornography. Forensic analysis found that 18 electronic devices contained thousands of images and hundreds of videos of child pornography, child erotica and artifacts of child pornography.

Knowlton had opted to represent himself at the trial with the court-appointed shadow defense counsel. He rehired that counsel this morning. Knowlton, identifying as a sovereign citizen, argued that the federal judicial system had no jurisdiction over him. The court was not persuaded by his arguments and found him guilty as charged.

Knowlton was taken into custody after the guilty verdict and will remain pending sentencing. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, Pearland Police Department, and Galveston Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zahra Jivani Fenelon and Kimberly Leo prosecuted the case, which was brought 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.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/sovereign-citizen-convicted-child-pornography-crimes