Date: 04-04-2014

Case Style: United States of America v. Garrett Michael Chase

Case Number: 4:13-cr-00223

Judge: Gary Miller

Court: United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (Harris County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Sherri L. Zack

Defendant's Attorney: Gus A. Saper and Paul A. Schiffer

Description: HOUSTON, TEXAS - Garrett Michael Chase, 38, has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for distribution and possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson. He pleaded guilty Oct. 23, 2013.

Today, U.S. District Judge Gray Miller handed Chase a sentence of 135 months for the distribution charge and another 120 months for possession of child pornography. The sentences will be served concurrently. He was further ordered to serve 25 years on supervised release following completion of the prison term. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

Chase was identified through an undercover operation in which he was linked to an IP address sharing 25 files of identified child pornography. One of those files was a 52-second video depicting a female child, approximately nine years of age, partially nude and sitting in the lap of an adult male. In the video, she is shown touching the male’s genitalia while he fondles her.

A search warrant was executed on his Spring residence which revealed computers and other electronic media. At that time, he admitted to downloading child pornography images and videos. He would save them to a shared folder making them available to others using peer-to-peer software. Chase admitted he had been viewing child pornography since high school and that he last viewed child pornography just two weeks prior to the execution of the warrant.

Chase further admitted to setting up a video camera to capture images/video of a 14-year-old who had stayed in his home. He continued to have thoughts of her and admitted to taking a video of her without her shirt. He instructed investigators where they could find the video on his computer.

Forensic examination of the computers revealed 57 videos containing child pornography.

Chase was permitted to remain on bind and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Secret Service investigated.

This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack, 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 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."

Outcome:

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments: