GEIST AREA MAN CHARGED WITH TRAFFICKING OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

INDIANAPOLIS, July 20 -- The U.

S. Department of Justice's U.

S. Attorney's office for Southern District of Indiana issued the following press release:

Joseph H. Hogsett, United States Attorney, announced today that Robert T. Roberts, 67, Indianapolis, was charged with transportation, receipt and possession of child pornography, following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force, the Carmel Police Department, the Fishers Police Department and the Noblesville Police Department..

It is alleged that Roberts transported, received and possessed child pornography through his use of internet file sharing software. His northeast Indianapolis home was searched pursuant to a federal search warrant on April 13, 2011, and it is alleged that child pornography was found on a computer in the home. Following a review of the computer evidence, Roberts was taken into custody on June 21, 2011, and has remained detained.

According to Assistant U.

S. Attorney A. Brant Cook, who is prosecuting the case for the government, Roberts faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. An initial hearing will be scheduled in Indianapolis before a U.

S. Magistrate Judge.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com