U.S. District Judge Alan Albright in Waco has sentenced 34-year-old Derek Loyd Ward of Whitney, Texas, to a staggering 240 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, the Department of Justice announced.
The sentence includes ten years of supervised release and $10,000 in restitution. Ward pleaded guilty on October 8, 2019, after authorities seized his computer during a search warrant execution that revealed around 550 videos and 875 images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Judge Albright also handed down a 110-month sentence to 28-year-old Tyler Christopher Benson of Killeen, Texas. Benson pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on October 15, 2019, after his laptop and cell phone were seized during a search warrant, uncovering approximately 775 videos and 360 images.
“Those who possess child pornography sustain the market for the abuse of children,” stated U.S. Attorney John F. Bash. “Today’s sentence was richly deserved.”
The Texas Attorney General’s Office investigated both cases, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Gloff prosecuting them on behalf of the government.
This sentencing comes under Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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