BALLWIN MAN SENTENCED ON FEDERAL CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES

St. Louis, MO: Robert Dickhans was sentenced to 36 months in prison for possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway announced today.

ROBERT DICKHANS, Ballwin, Missouri, pled guilty last October to one felony count of possession of child pornography. With his plea Dickhans admitted that he possessed child pornography on a computer he was using at his former residence in Fenton, Missouri, in February 2007. He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Catherine D. Perry.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

Hanaway commended the work performed on this case by the St. Louis County Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Assistant United States Attorney Reginald Harris, who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.