Child Pornography Distributor Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison
A 24-year-old man from Lincoln, Nebraska, has been sentenced to 78 months in prison for distributing child pornography on Twitter.
Keenen G. Russell, 24, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on today in Lincoln, Nebraska, to 78 months in prison by Chief United States District Judge John M. Gerrard, for the receipt and distribution of child pornography. After his release from federal prison, Russell will be required to serve 5 years on supervised release and register as a sex offender.
In September 2016, the Omaha office of the Department of Homeland Security received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) concerning two tips they had received from Twitter, Inc. In August 2016, a Twitter user posted numerous images of suspected child pornography on their Twitter account.
Twitter identified the images as being suspected child pornography, suspended the user’s account and forwarded the identifying information to NCMEC. Twitter identified the user and account holder as Keenen Russell. Of the 59 total images, 12 images were child erotica and 27 images were child pornography as defined by federal law.
In November 2016, a federal search warrant was served on Russell’s residence in Lincoln. An Apple iPad was seized and after forensic examination, an additional 346 images and 771 thumbnails of child pornography were located.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security. Russell’s exact criminal charges included the receipt and distribution of child pornography. The city and state where the crime took place is Lincoln, Nebraska. The exact date of the crime is not specified, but the sentencing date is today. The sentence or outcome for Russell is 78 months in prison, followed by 5 years on supervised release, and registration as a sex offender.
Key Facts
- State: Nebraska
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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