John W. Vandermeer, Child Pornography, New Mexico 2013

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - New Mexico's child pornography epidemic continues to claim another victim. This time, it's 63-year-old John W. Vandermeer of Albuquerque, who will spend the next 15 years behind bars for his crimes.

Vandermeer was arrested on December 4, 2012, on a criminal complaint alleging that he received and possessed child pornography in Bernalillo County, N.M., between January 2011 and November 2012.

He subsequently was indicted and charged with three counts of receipt of child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography. The indictment alleged that Vandermeer received child pornography from January 2009 through April 16, 2011 and that he possessed child pornography in December 2012, in Bernalillo County.

On July 30, 2013, Vandermeer entered a guilty plea to a receipt of child pornography charge. In his plea agreement, Vandermeer acknowledged that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the New Mexico State Police (NMSP) executed a search warrant at his residence on December 4, 2012, and seized computers and computer-related media.

During his plea hearing, Vandermeer also acknowledged voluntarily participating in a recorded interview on December 4, 2012, during which he admitted downloading child pornography images and videos of prepubescent children. He also admitted having a prior conviction for raping a child under the age of 14 years and that he moved from Massachusetts to Albuquerque in 1987 after he was convicted of child rape.

Vandermeer's prior sex offense conviction earned him an enhanced sentence of 15 years in prison. He was also fined $10,000.00 and will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence. The sentence was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Steven C. Yarbrough, Special Agent in Charge Dennis A. Ulrich, II, of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Texas, and Chief Peter N. Kassetas of the New Mexico State Police (NMSP).

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of HSI, the Online Predator Unit of the NMSP and the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Lizarraga and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlyn E. Rees 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.

The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force's mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/prior-sex-offender-sentenced-fifteen-years-and-lifetime-supervised-release-child