DUPO MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSE

Randy G. Massey, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that Judgment was entered on July 6, 2006, after KEVIN ALBERT SCHANUEL, age 43, of Dupo, Illinois, was sentenced to a 120 month mandatory minimum term of imprisonment following his plea of guilty to an Information charging him with Possession of Child Pornography and Receipt of Obscene Material over the Internet. SCHANUEL was also ordered to pay a special assessment of $200 and a fine of $400. After release from imprisonment, SCHANUEL will serve a 3 year term of supervised release.

SCHANUEL was subject to the 120 month mandatory minimum sentence because he was a repeat offender. On November 25, 2003, SCHANUEL had received a ten month term of imprisonment following his plea of guilty to Receiving Obscene Matter over the Internet. Defendant began his three year term of supervised release on November 6, 2004. The instant offenses occurred during the time period of December, 2004 to May 10, 2005, when SCHANUEL was on supervised release. The violations were discovered during a visit to SCHANUEL’S home on May 10, 2005, by the United States Probation Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. At that time, officers found SCHANUEL to be in possession of a computer and various computer disks. Examination of the disks revealed child pornography and obscene material, in the form of bestiality movies. Based upon his possession of these items, SCHANUEL’S supervised release was revoked and he received a 12 month term of imprisonment on March 31, 2006.

SCHANUEL has been in federal custody since July 13, 2005.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, following a request for assistance by the United States Probation Office for the Southern District of Illinois. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne M. Garrison.