CARBONDALE MAN CHARGED WITH DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Randy G. Massey, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on April 19, 2007, ERICH KARL UMGELDER, age 20, of Carbondale, Illinois, was charged by the United States Attorney in a Criminal Complaint in United States District Court with one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

UMGELDER was arrested on April 19, 2007, and is being held in custody pending his bond hearing in United States District Court in Benton, Illinois, which is schedule for Monday, April 30.

A Criminal Complaint contains charges filed against a defendant. The Constitution provides a right of a criminal defendant in federal court to be charged by way of indictment returned by a grand jury before trial. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charges until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, UMGELDER faces from 5-30 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 5 years of supervised release on the distribution count. UMGELDER faces up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release on the possession count.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Southern Illinois Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Carbondale Police Department, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, and the SIU Police Department. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, in which the United States Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with federal and state law enforcement authorities, is actively investigating and prosecuting individuals who produce, distribute, or possess child pornography. Anyone with information concerning the use of the Internet for the purposes of possessing, producing, or trafficking in child pornographyis encouraged to contact their local police department or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George A. Norwood.