FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
NOVEMBER 16, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
60 YEAR OLD FINKSBURG MAN SENTENCED TO 5 YEARS FOR
RECEIPT OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Andre M. Davis sentenced William Henry Ransley, age 60, of Finksburg, Maryland, today to five years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to his plea agreement, in May 2006 Carroll County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Ransley for sexually assaulting a 14 year old girl. Further investigation revealed that Ransley had been chatting with the victim via the Internet from his home computer for several weeks. Federal agents searched his computer and located an opened email with an image of the victim engaged in sexual activity, which was transmitted on April 16, 2006. Several other images of the victim engaged in sexual activity were also located on the computer. The victim admitted that she had sexual intercourse with Ransley on two occasions in 2006, and used a web cam that he had given her to send him pictures of herself engaged in sexual activity.
Ransley has also been convicted of two counts of a 3rd degree sexual offense in Carroll County for his sexual assault on the 14 year old girl. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years at his sentencing on January 14, 2008.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office for their investigative work and expressed appreciation to Carroll County State’s Attorney Jerry Barnes and Assistant State’s Attorney Amy B. Ocampo for their assistance in this case. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Bonnie S. Greenberg, who prosecuted the case.