Texas Man Gets 30 Years for Child Porn, Fondling

A 39-year-old resident of Montgomery County, Texas, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for producing child pornography and fondling a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

James Aubrey Zachary Wasson pleaded guilty to the charges on September 27, 2023, and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks to 360 months for sexual exploitation and 120 months for producing child pornography, to be served concurrently.

The court heard from the victim’s mother, who testified about the nightmares the child has been suffering due to Wasson’s actions. The judge acknowledged that the sentence was ‘life altering for a reason,’ noting that the victim’s life will never be the same.

Wasson was further ordered to pay $29,000 in restitution to multiple victims and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and comply with numerous restrictions designed to prevent him from accessing children and the internet.

‘Wasson shattered a little girl’s life,’ said Hamdani. ‘Today’s sentence cannot give her back the life she should have had, but it does ensure Wasson cannot hurt other children for a very long time.’

Authorities identified Wasson after discovering over 500 files of child pornography he had uploaded between March 2019 and March 2021. A subsequent search of his cell phone confirmed it was the device used to produce the series of sexually explicit photographs.

The minor victim also identified Wasson and recalled when he took the photographs. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bauman prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Wasson will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The case is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of child sexual exploitation and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable.

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