Billy W. Hays Press Release (Indictment)

April 24, 2008
For Immediate Release

RALLS COUNTY MAN INDICTED ON FEDERAL CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES

St. Louis, MO: Billy W. Hays was indicted on multiple charges of transportation, receipt and possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway and Ralls County Sheriff Paul Forney announced today.

BILLY W. HAYS, New London, Missouri, was indicted by a federal grand jury in St. Louis on April 17 of one felony count of transportation of child pornography; one felony count of receipt of child pornography and two felony counts of possession of child pornography. The indictment alleges that between December 2006 and January 2007, Hays transported and received graphic image files containing child pornography, via the internet, from Missouri to the states of Nebraska, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Washington. The indictment also alleges that during this period Hays possessed images of child pornography. Hays was arrested earlier today and is expected to appear in federal court this week.

If convicted, each count of transportation and receipt of child pornography carries a penalty range of five to twenty years in prison followed by supervised release for life; possession of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000, followed by supervised release for five years to life.

This case was 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/.

Hanaway commended the work performed on the case by the Ralls County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Regional Computer Crimes Education and Enforcement Group and Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany Becker, who is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations, and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI CATHERINE L. HANAWAY United States Attorney	NEWS RELEASE
For further information: Call Public Affairs Officer Jan Diltz at (314) 539-7719
April 24, 2008 For Immediate Release RALLS COUNTY MAN INDICTED ON FEDERAL CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES St. Louis, MO: Billy W. Hays was indicted on multiple charges of transportation, receipt and possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway and Ralls County Sheriff Paul Forney announced today. BILLY W. HAYS, New London, Missouri, was indicted by a federal grand jury in St. Louis on April 17 of one felony count of transportation of child pornography; one felony count of receipt of child pornography and two felony counts of possession of child pornography. The indictment alleges that between December 2006 and January 2007, Hays transported and received graphic image files containing child pornography, via the internet, from Missouri to the states of Nebraska, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Washington. The indictment also alleges that during this period Hays possessed images of child pornography. Hays was arrested earlier today and is expected to appear in federal court this week. If convicted, each count of transportation and receipt of child pornography carries a penalty range of five to twenty years in prison followed by supervised release for life; possession of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000, followed by supervised release for five years to life. This case was 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/. Hanaway commended the work performed on the case by the Ralls County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Regional Computer Crimes Education and Enforcement Group and Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany Becker, who is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations, and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.