A 62-year-old man from the western Minnesota community of Graceville has been found guilty of a heinous crime that has shaken the community. John Rolland Parent pleaded guilty to possessing more than 600 images of child pornography, a crime that has severe consequences and a significant impact on victims.
Paren, who was indicted on May 7, 2013, entered his plea before United States District Judge John R. Tunheim. According to the indictment, Parent possessed images that contained visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. These images were obtained via a computer and found on computers, hard drives, and other digital media seized during the execution of a state search warrant at Parent’s residence.
The images portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence, highlighting the severity of the crime. Parent’s actions have caused immense harm to the victims, and his guilty plea is a step in the right direction towards justice.
For his crime, Parent faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years. Judge Tunheim will determine his sentence at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled. This case is the result of an investigation by the Minnesota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Big Stone County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Dunne.
Possession of child pornography is against the law, and the Justice Department is funding a study focused on the correlation between involvement in child pornography and hands-on sexual abuse of children. A 2008 study published in the Journal of Family Violence found that up to 80 percent of federal inmates incarcerated for possession, receipt, or distribution of child pornography also admitted to hands-on sexual abuse of children, ranging from touching to rape.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (“PSC”), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney offices and the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identify and rescue victims.
It is essential for law enforcement and the community to work together to prevent and prosecute crimes like this. The Grimy Times urges parents and guardians to educate their children about online safety and the dangers of child pornography. For more information about PSC and internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Related Federal Cases
- Danny James Heinrich, Child Pornography Receipt, Minnesota 2015 · Minnesota
- Benjamin Joseph Roggenbuck, Child Pornography Production, Minnesota · Minnesota
- Mark Matthew Cortes, Child Pornography Production, Minnesota 2011 · Minnesota
- Guy Edward Wheelock, Child Pornography, Minnesota 2013 · Minnesota
- Mark Matthew Cortes, Child Pornography Production, Minnesota 2013 · Minnesota
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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