Oakland Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Pornography

67-Year-Old Man Who Had Attempted to Arrange to Have Sex with a 13-Year-Old Girl Found in Possession of Child Pornography Pictures and Videos

SAN FRANCISCO—Arthur Abraham pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco today to possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced.

Abraham, 67, of Oakland, came to the attention of San Rafael Police in May, 2010, when he answered a Craigslist ad posted by an undercover police officer offering “hedonistic pleasures” involving a family with two young children. During a subsequent e-mail exchange and a meeting at a San Rafael coffee shop with the undercover officer, Abraham described his interest in having sex with a 13-year-old girl. Abraham was arrested when he showed up at a local hotel to meet the girl. He had brought with him a child’s swimsuit, toys, and lubricant. A search warrant of Abraham’s home revealed child pornography images and videos.

In pleading guilty, Abraham admitted to possessing more than 600 child pornography images, including images depicting prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Abraham was charged by Information on Feb. 10, 2011. He was charged with possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B). Under the plea agreement, Abraham pled guilty to the sole count of the Information.

Abraham is currently released on bond. His sentencing is scheduled for June 16, 2011, before Judge Jeffrey S. White in San Francisco. The maximum statutory penalty for the count of conviction is 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and restitution. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Owen Martikan is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Rosario Calderon. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the San Rafael Police Department.

Further Information:

Case #: CR 11-0068 JSW