The United States Attorney's Office

Northern District of Iowa

CEDAR RAPIDS MAN CONVICTED OF POSSESSING CHILD PORN

File-Sharing Software Used to Locate and Download Internet Child Pornography

May 21, 2007

United States Attorney Matt M. Dummermuth announced that a man who downloaded and possessed child pornography on his computer pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

JAMES LEMONT, 31, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of child pornography.

At the plea hearing, LEMONT admitted that, on January 19, 2007, he possessed approximately 250 images of child pornography. LEMONT also admitted he used file-sharing software to locate and download the child pornography from the Internet to his computer. The child pornography included images of adults engaging in sexual intercourse with prepubescent children.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared. LEMONT was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. LEMONT faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, and a term of supervised release following any imprisonment of at least 5 years and up to the remainder of his life.

This case was filed as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, United States Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean R. Berry and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

United States Attorney
Northern District of Iowa
Hach Building,
Suite 400,
401 1st Street, S.E.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401-1825
Phone: 319-363-0091
Fax: 319-363-1990