United States of America v. Justin Bryan

Augusta, Georgia criminal defense lawyer represented defendant charged with possession of hundreds of images of child sexual exploitation.



Justin Bryan, 34, of Hephzibah, Ga., was pleaded guilty to Possession of Child Pornography





"Each time an image of sexual exploitation is shared on the internet, a vulnerable child is revictimized,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. "We applaud the work of our law enforcement partners and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in identifying predators like Justin Bryan, and our office will continue to ensure they are held accountable for their crimes.”



In December 2020, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cybertip identifying online images of child pornography. NCMEC alerted the FBI, and agents later located and arrested Bryan and seized multiple electronic devices that were found to contain hundreds of videos and images depicting sexual exploitation of children.



"This sentence demonstrates the determination of the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office to find those who prey on children in our communities and bring them to justice,” said Philip Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "Our message to these predators is you cannot hide behind the 'anonymity' of the internet.”



The case was investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremiah L. Johnson and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.



18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B) Possession of Child Pornography

(1)



(a) Any person who—



(1) knowingly transports or ships using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means including by computer or mails, any visual depiction, if—



(A) the producing of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; and



(B) such visual depiction is of such conduct;



(2) knowingly receives, or distributes, any visual depiction using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or that has been mailed, or has been shipped or transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or which contains materials which have been mailed or so shipped or transported, by any means including by computer, or knowingly reproduces any visual depiction for distribution using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or through the mails, if—



(A) the producing of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; and



(B) such visual depiction is of such conduct;



(3) either—



(A) in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or on any land or building owned by, leased to, or otherwise used by or under the control of the Government of the United States, or in the Indian country as defined in section 1151 of this title, knowingly sells or possesses with intent to sell any visual depiction; or



(B) knowingly sells or possesses with intent to sell any visual depiction that has been mailed, shipped, or transported using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce, or has been shipped or transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or which was produced using materials which have been mailed or so shipped or transported using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce, including by computer, if—



(i) the producing of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; and



(ii) such visual depiction is of such conduct; or



(4) either—



(A) in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or on any land or building owned by, leased to, or otherwise used by or under the control of the Government of the United States, or in the Indian country as defined in section 1151 of this title, knowingly possesses, or knowingly accesses with intent to view, 1 or more books, magazines, periodicals, films, video tapes, or other matter which contain any visual depiction; or



(B) knowingly possesses, or knowingly accesses with intent to view, 1 or more books, magazines, periodicals, films, video tapes, or other matter which contain any visual depiction that has been mailed, or has been shipped or transported using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or which was produced using materials which have been mailed or so shipped or transported, by any means including by computer, if—



(i) the producing of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; and



(ii) such visual depiction is of such conduct;



shall be punished as provided in subsection (b) of this section.



(b)(1) Whoever violates, or attempts or conspires to violate, paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subsection (a) shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not less than 5 years and not more than 20 years, but if such person has a prior conviction under this chapter, section 1591, chapter 71, chapter 109A, or chapter 117, or under section 920 of title 10 (article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice), or under the laws of any State relating to aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, or abusive sexual conduct involving a minor or ward, or the production, possession, receipt, mailing, sale, distribution, shipment, or transportation of child pornography, or sex trafficking of children, such person shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not less than 15 years nor more than 40 years.



(2) Whoever violates, or attempts or conspires to violate, paragraph (4) of subsection (a) shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both, but if such person has a prior conviction under this chapter, chapter 71, chapter 109A, or chapter 117, or under section 920 of title 10 (article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice), or under the laws of any State relating to aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, or abusive sexual conduct involving a minor or ward, or the production, possession, receipt, mailing, sale, distribution, shipment, or transportation of child pornography, such person shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not less than 10 years nor more than 20 years.



(c) Affirmative Defense.—It shall be an affirmative defense to a charge of violating paragraph (4) of subsection (a) that the defendant—



(1) possessed less than three matters containing any visual depiction proscribed by that paragraph; and



(2) promptly and in good faith, and without retaining or allowing any person, other than a law enforcement agency, to access any visual depiction or copy thereof—



(A) took reasonable steps to destroy each such visual depiction; or



(B) reported the matter to a law enforcement agency and afforded that agency access to each such visual depiction.

Defendant sentenced to custody BOP for a term of 80 months, 15 years supervised release,, $100.00 special assessment, see J & C for restitution information, remanded USMS