Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts in Texas

July 04, 2007

EDINBURG MAN SENTENCED TO LENGTHY PRISON TERM FOR RECEIVING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

[McALLEN, TX] – Nathan Scott Sanders, 55, of Edinburg, TX, who has seven prior convictions for soliciting minors for indecent and obscene photographs, was sentenced late yesterday, to 15 years in federal prison, without parole, for receiving child pornography, United States Attorney Don DeGabrielle announced today.

The statutory minimum fifteen year prison term imposed by United States District Court Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa is the result of pleadings filed by the United States seeking the enhanced penalty based upon Sander’s prior state convictions.

Sanders pled guilty to the federal felony charge in September 2006 and admitted to having requested a video containing child pornography via the internet. Unknowingly, Sanders sought the pornographic video from an undercover officer and an investigation ensued. On September, 1, 2004, United States Postal Inspection Service inspectors executed a search warrant on Sanders’ home in Edinburg and seized a computer and external storage media. That same day, Sanders admitted to investigating agents that he collected child pornography and that pornographic pictures of young people with adults could be found on his computer. A forensic examination of the computer and the external storage media resulted in the discovery of more than 370 still images and more than 30 video clips of child pornography. The still images depicted adults performing various sexual acts with children under the age of 12 years. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has identified numerous known child victims depicted in Sanders’ child pornography collection.

At sentencing, through his attorney, Sanders asked the court to impose a lower sentence, arguing that the mandatory sentence of 15 years based on Sanders’ prior state convictions was not applicable to Sanders’ case. The court denied the request. The number of images collected, the ages of the victims in the images and the sexual acts being done to the children as depicted in the pornography were also considered by the court. Sanders must also serve a 3 year term of supervised release during which he must register as a sex offender pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
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