Jose Antonio Hendricks, Child Pornography, North Carolina 2014

A federal jury in Charlotte, North Carolina, has found Jose Antonio Hendricks, 59, guilty of possession, receipt, and transportation of child pornography. Hendricks, a resident of Charlotte, was convicted following a two-day trial in U.S. District Court.

U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray praised the conviction, saying, 'Child predators often seek shelter in the anonymity the internet offers to exploit and harm innocent children. This is a global epidemic that we must confront with an aggressive, technology-driven response.'

The investigation into Hendricks began in October 2014, when law enforcement discovered that an individual, later identified as Hendricks, was using a peer-to-peer network to view and trade child pornography online. Over the course of several months, law enforcement connected to the IP address associated with Hendricks' account approximately 70 times, with the majority of these sessions confirming that Hendricks was sharing child pornography or child erotica.

On March 12, 2015, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hendricks' residence, seizing a tablet and an SD card. A forensic examination of the devices revealed that they contained numerous images of child pornography, as well as evidence that Hendricks was accessing numerous child pornography websites featuring sadistic or masochistic images of children.

The charges against Hendricks carry a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

The FBI's Crimes Against Children Squad investigated the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cortney Randall and William Stetzer leading the prosecution as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Hendricks' conviction sends a strong message that the internet is no longer a safe haven for those who engage in child sexual exploitation. Online predators will be located, prosecuted, and ultimately removed from society and away from vulnerable children.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/pr/federal-jury-finds-charlotte-man-guilty-possession-receipt-and-transportation-child