Fresno Man Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison for Receiving Child Pornography

FRESNO, Calif.—United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced that yesterday, SHELDON PAUL GORDON, 25, of Fresno, California was sentenced by United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii for his conviction for receiving images of child pornography. The sentence imposed includes a prison term of 121 months to be followed by a term of supervised release of 120 months during which GORDON will be required to register as a sex offender, and his access to minors, computers, and the Internet will be restricted.

The case was the result of an investigation by the Fresno Area Cyber Crimes Task Force, which is comprised of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fresno Police Department, Fresno Sheriff’s Department, California Department of Justice, and the United States Secret Service.

The investigation in this case was undertaken as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC). PSC is a United States Department of Justice initiative established to increase federal prosecutions of violent sexual predators of children, and to reduce the number of Internet crimes against children including child pornography trafficking. As a part of PSC, the United States Attorney’s Office has teamed with state and local agencies and organizations to increase law enforcement presence on the Internet, and to educate the public about safe Internet use, thereby reducing the risk that children might fall prey to online sexual predators. For additional information on the PSC initiative, please go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov or call the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and ask to speak with the PSC coordinator.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Sheila K. Oberto, who prosecuted the case, GORDON was charged with receipt and possession of child pornography on April 5, 2007. In a plea agreement, GORDON admitted that from January 1, 2006, through March 23, 2007, he used a computer and modem to distribute and receive, via the Internet, images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. The distribution involved material depicting prepubescent minors as well as images of minors engaged in sadistic or masochistic conduct or other violence. The offense involved more than 600 images. GORDON was remanded into federal custody following entry of his guilty plea on February 11, 2008.

Press Releases | Sacramento Home