EAST ST. LOUIS - A federal grand jury sitting in East St. Louis has indicted Michael E. Myers, 60, of Alton, Illinois, for Distribution of Child Pornography and Receipt of Child Pornography, James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. After a detention hearing, Myers was held without bond pending trial.
The two offenses charged in the indictment allege that between March 24, 2016, and March 29, 2016, Myers knowingly distributed and received videos and images containing child pornography using a facility of interstate commerce.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
A trial date has not yet been set. If convicted of Distribution and/or Receipt of Child Pornography, Myers faces a term of imprisonment of not less than fifteen (15) years up to forty (40) years, a fine up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not less than five (5) years up to life.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 individuals 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.”
This investigation was conducted by the Madison County Sheriff’s Department. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hoell.
An Indictment is a formal charge against a defendant that is comprised of the essential facts constituting the offense charged. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
