Redding Man Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

SACRAMENTO, CA—Joe Weldon Taylor, 33, formerly of Redding, appeared in federal court today to face child pornography charges, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

On May 24, 2012, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment, which had been sealed while law enforcement located Taylor. The indictment alleges that from December 2011 to January 2012, Taylor possessed videos containing depictions of the sexual exploitation of children. He was arrested in Longview, Washington, on June 1, 2012 by the FBI.

Taylor was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Kendall J. Newman and entered a not guilty plea. His next scheduled court date is July 19, 2012 before United States District Judge Morrison C. England, Jr.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Morris is prosecuting the case.

The maximum statutory penalty for possession of child pornography is 10 years in prison. The actual sentence, if Taylor is convicted, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The charge contained in the indictment is only an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”