A 39-year-old man from Tyler, Texas, has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas.
Mark Anthony Hicks pleaded guilty on June 4, 2013, to possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis.
According to information presented in court, on February 28, 2013, federal and local law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Hicks’ residence in Tyler, Texas. A computer hard drive was seized during the search and found to contain more than 100 images and nearly 30 videos of child pornography.
Hicks was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 27, 2013, and charged with child pornography violations.
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. 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.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Longview Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Frank Coan, Jr.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced the sentencing, saying that Hicks’ actions were a threat to the safety and well-being of children in the community. Bales emphasized the importance of protecting children from exploitation and abuse.
Mandatory Facts:
Defendant/Respondent: Mark Anthony Hicks
Criminal Charges: Possession of Child Pornography
City and State: Tyler, Texas
Exact Date: February 28, 2013 (search warrant executed), June 4, 2013 (plea), March 27, 2013 (indicted)
Sentence or Outcome: 24 months in federal prison
Related Federal Cases
- Jason Ryan Bickham, Possession of Child Pornography, Texas 2014 · Texas
- Trevion Lechay Ethridge, Producing Child Pornography, Texas 2014 · North Carolina
- Mark C. Simpson, Child Support Fraud and Cocaine Distribution, Georgia 2009 · North Carolina
- Mark C. Simpson, Child Support Collection Fraud, Georgia 2014 · Puerto Rico
- Jason Lewis Schwamberger, Possession of Child Pornography, Maryland 2013 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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