Case Number: 1:18-cr-00074-PAB

Judge: Philip A. Brimmer

Court: United States District Court for the District of Colorado (Denver County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Valeria Spencer

Defendant's Attorney: Mary Virginia Butterton - FPD

Description: Denver, CO - Weld County Man Sentenced To Over 10 Years In Federal Prison For Possession Of Child Pornography

Defendant possessed over 1,000 images of child pornography

Frank Steven Wietecha, Jr., age 49, of Weld County, Colorado, was sentenced late last week by U.S. District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer to serve 130 months (over 10 years) in federal prison for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer and FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Calvin Shivers announced. Judge Brimmer ordered Wietecha to serve 15 years on supervised release following his prison sentence. The defendant appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody and was remanded at its conclusion.

Wietecha was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on February 7, 2018. He pled guilty to possession of child pornography on May 3, 2018. He was sentenced on September 14, 2018. Wietecha, according to court records, has a prior state misdemeanor conviction for possession of child pornography.

According to the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, on November 27, 2017, Wietecha’s daughter was in possession of the defendant’s cell phone and discovered it contained images of child pornography. She surrendered the phone to police. A federal search warrant was obtained to search the device as well as SD cards, which were also recovered.

A forensic review of the cell phone and associated SD cards revealed the presence of child pornography. There were over 1,000 images of child pornography, as well as several thousand images of child erotica. The earliest image located was captured on September 14, 2013. Analysis of the phone also showed internet activity accessing child pornography websites. Wietecha also used his phone to take screen shots of child pornography from his computer.

“Our prosecutors and the FBI leave no stone unturned when it comes to protecting children,” said U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer.

“The FBI remains committed to ensuring those responsible for sexually exploiting innocent children are aggressively investigated and brought to justice,” said Calvin Shivers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Denver Division. "This sentence demonstrates that those who possess child pornography will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

This matter was investigated by the FBI.

This case 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.”

Charge:

18 U.S.C. 2252A(a)(5)(B) and (b)(2) Possession of Child Pornography
(2)

Outcome: Imprisonment: 130 months. Supervised Release: 15 years. Special Assessment: $100. Restitution: $12,000.

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Defendant's Experts:

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