DENNISON MAN INDICTED ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on March 5, 2008, DENNIS LEE “LEEROY” STOUT, age 46, of Dennison, Illinois was named in a two count Indictment returned by a Federal Grand Jury sitting in Benton, Illinois.

The indictment charges STOUT with two counts of distribution of child pornography. STOUT was arrested on February 11, 2008, and is being held in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending his trial.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

With respect to each count, STOUT faces from 5-20 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and from 5 years to lifetime supervised release.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Southern Illinois Cyber Crimes Task Force, along with assistance from the Mt. Vernon, IL Police Department, and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. 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 pornography is encouraged to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation or their local police department.

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