Two Men Sentenced to Lengthy Federal Prison Terms for Child Exploitation Offenses

In unrelated cases, a federal judge in Midland sentenced Christopher David Mayhall, 42 of Dublin, TX, and James Vernon Foster, 57 of Abilene, TX, to 20 years and 15 years in federal prison, respectively, for child exploitation offenses, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and FBI Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie, Jr., El Paso Division.

On July 18, 2019, U.S. District Judge David Counts sentenced Foster to 15 years in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release.  Judge Counts also ordered that Foster pay a $5,000 assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.

In February of 2019, an FBI agent acting in an undercover capacity began chatting online with Foster.  The undercover agent indicated that he had access to two minor children, and Foster expressed a sexual interest in the children.  Throughout the next few weeks, the conversations between the Agent and Foster became increasingly sexual in nature, and eventually a meet-up was scheduled.  On March 21, 2019, Foster arrived in Midland for the purported meeting, expecting to have sexual relations with the children and was arrested by federal agents.  Foster pleaded guilty to the charge of attempted enticement of a minor on May 14, 2019.

On July 11, 2019, Judge Counts sentenced Mayhall to 20 years in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release.

In November of 2018, an FBI agent acting in the same undercover capacity began chatting online with Mayhall.  Mayhall also expressed a sexual interest in the children.  Throughout the next few weeks, the conversations between the agent and Mayhall became increasingly sexual in nature, and eventually Mayhall asked the agent to take nude photographs of the children and send them to him.  Additionally, Mayhall sent the agent a video of a young child being sexually abused.   In January 2019, Mayhall was charged with one count of attempted production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.  He pleaded guilty to the attempted production charge on May 15, 2019.

FBI agents in Midland conducted this investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane A. Chriesman prosecuted these cases on behalf of the Government.