Over 1,000 videos and images of child pornography lands South Texas man in prison

 BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 47-year-old Brownsville resident has been handed a lengthy federal prison sentence for possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Chance Wallace pleaded guilty Sep. 26, 2019.

Today, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ordered him to serve 180 months in prison. The sentence will be immediately followed by eight years of supervised release during which he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He has also been ordered to register as a sex offender. At the hearing, the court considered statements of various victims describing how Wallace’s actions caused them continued harm. In handing down the prison term, Judge Rodriguez noted the seriousness of the offense and the need to protect the public from Wallace’s conduct.

In Oct. 2015, authorities launched an investigation targeting child pornography sharing on the internet. That led them to Wallace. The following month, they conducted a search at the residence and seized his computer and an external hard drive. Forensic analysis on the computer later revealed approximately 525 images and 497 videos of child pornography.

Wallace will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Homeland Security Investigations - Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ana C. Cano, Jason Corley and Joe Esquivel prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.