Apple Valley man charged with possession of child pornography

A 30-year-old Apple Valley man was charged today by a federal grand jury with one count of possession of child pornography.

Brian Wayne Lowe’s indictment alleges that on April 13, 2007, he did knowingly possess one or more matters which contained visual depictions involving the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

If convicted, Lowe faces a potential maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. All sentences are determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the Apple Valley Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James E. Lackner.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a national initiative that encourages the use of multi-jurisdictional task forces to investigate and prosecute cases that involve the sexual exploitation of children over the Internet. PSC urges that law enforcement efforts be complemented by community-wide campaigns to assist victims of exploitation and to educate parents, other adults, and children about Internet safety.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, one in 33 children receives an unwanted sexual solicitation online each year. One in four children experiences unwanted exposure to sexually explicit material on the Internet each year. And, more than 20,000 images of child pornography are posted on the Internet every week. Moreover, recent research conducted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons indicates a strong correlation between possessing or distributing child pornography and committing sexual-contact crimes against children.