New Orleans Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Crimes Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Children

NEW ORLEANS—MICHAEL T. DRURY, age 55, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced today by U.S. Judge Martin L.C. Feldman to a term of 36 months in prison, followed by a 10-year period of supervised release and a $5,000 fine, after previously pleading guilty to felony crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children, announced United States Attorney Jim Letten.

According to court documents, DRURY was found to be in possession of computers that contained dozens of images depicting the sexual victimization of minor children. The images depicted children less than 18 years of age, some of whom were less than 12 years of age, engaged in sexually explicit 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.

This case was investigated by special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg.