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Joplin Man Sentenced for Child Pornography
A 41-year-old Joplin man has been sentenced for his involvement in a child pornography ring.
Rodney Russell, 41, of Joplin, pleaded guilty in federal court to receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.
The crime took place between Oct. 4 and Dec. 21, 2011, according to federal indictment documents released in October 2012.
Under federal statutes, Russell is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000.
Russell’s sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher, who stated that the evidence against Russell was overwhelming.
The investigation was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
As part of the investigation, authorities uncovered a large amount of child pornography on Russell’s computer, according to court documents.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab ‘resources.’
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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