Dallas Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison on Child Pornography Conviction

DALLAS—Michael Priesont, 68, of Dallas, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey to 84 months in federal prison following his guilty plea in August 2010 to an information charging one count of receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. In addition, Judge Godbey ordered that Priesont serve a lifetime of supervised release following his incarceration.

According to documents filed in the case, on May 14, 2010, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Priesont’s residence in Dallas, that resulted in the identification of between 150 and 300 images of child pornography in his possession. The images were found on his laptop computer that was seized from the trunk of his car. Priesont admitted using file-sharing software for at approximately two years to download child pornography onto his laptop computer. He also admitted that some of the images depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sexual acts, and some portrayed sadistic and/or masochistic conduct.

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

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa J. Miller.