Palestine Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography

TYLER, Texas – In a harrowing case of sexual exploitation, Alvin Westley, a 49-year-old resident of Palestine, Texas, has pleaded guilty to child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas. The United States Attorney John M. Bales announced the charges today.

Westley, who had been found in possession of child pornography on January 26, 2011, was further exposed as a registered sex offender with a sordid history involving three counts of indecency with a child. His transgressions were laid bare when he pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love on Jan. 9, 2014.

The case against Westley was part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in May 2006 to tackle the escalating issue of child sexual exploitation and abuse. This project leverages federal, state, and local resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children online and rescue victims.

Westley now faces a minimum sentence of 10 years up to a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing has been postponed until a later date. The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Department of Public Safety – Criminal Investigations division, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld handling the prosecution.

For more information on Project Safe Childhood and its efforts to protect children from exploitation, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.