Athens, Texas Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Violations

Repair Shop Found Child Pornography on Broken Laptop

TYLER, TX—A 43-year-old Athens, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.

James Clifford Hendrix pleaded guilty on June 2, 2010, to possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Schneider.

According to information presented in court, on Aug. 15, 2008, Hendrix mailed his laptop computer to a computer repair business in Florida. During the repair, employees discovered images of child pornography and notified law enforcement authorities. A federal search warrant was obtained and executed at Hendrix's home, during which an additional computer was located which also contained child pornography images. An analysis of the computers revealed approximately 42 videos and 49 photographs of child pornography. Some of the material depicted children less than 12 years of age engaged in sadistic or masochistic conduct. Hendrix was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 4, 2009.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher T. Tortorice.