A 50-year-old Hot Springs man was sentenced Thursday to more than seven years in federal prison without parole for downloading child pornography from the Internet, announced Conner Eldridge, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.
Eldridge said Paul Dunn was arrested Feb. 1, 2012, after agents investigating online trafficking and possession of child pornography in the Hot Springs area executed a search warrant at his home and confiscated his computer.
The Internet Crimes Against Persons Task Force had begun its undercover investigation focusing on the area in August 2011. During the investigation, Eldridge said, investigators located and downloaded child pornography from a computer that was later determined to belong to Dunn. His computer and other media were seized in the subsequent search of his home, and a forensic examination of the items revealed numerous images of child pornography, including multiple videos of minors engaged in sexual conduct with adults, Eldridge said in a news release.
“Victimizing innocent children is horrendous and inexcusable,” Eldridge said. “Every time a video or image involving sexual abuse of children is downloaded or viewed, those children are re-victimized. We will continue to aggressively prosecute cases such as this and hold the perpetrators of these crimes accountable.”
Dunn pleaded guilty June 7 to receipt of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Susan Hickey sentenced him Thursday to 87 months in federal prison, where parole no longer exists. Hickey also sentenced Dunn to serve five years of probation after his release.
The case was investigated by the task force and Homeland Security Investigations, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Roberts.
Eldridge said the case was filed as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative that was started by the U.S. Department of Justice in May 2006 and combines federal, state and local resources to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 10/25/2013