Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Louisville, Illinois Man Charged with Child Pornography Offenses

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on August 3, 2010, ROBERT R. SHIPLEY, age 30, of Louisville, Illinois was named in an Indictment returned by a federal grand jury sitting in Benton, Illinois, charging him with distribution of child pornography (Count 1) and possession of child pornography (Count 2).

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

With respect to Count 1, SHIPLEY faces a maximum penalty of 15-40 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and from five years to lifetime supervised release. Count 2 carries a possible penalty of between 10-20 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and from five years to lifetime supervised release.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Southern Illinois Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office Crimes Against Children Task Force, and a number of state and local law enforcement agencies. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, in which the United States Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with federal and state law enforcement authorities, is actively investigating and prosecuting individuals who produce, distribute, or possess child pornography. Anyone with information concerning the use of the Internet for the purposes of possessing, producing, or trafficking in child pornography is encouraged to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation or their local police department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George A. Norwood.

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