Department of Justice

United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill
Middle District of Florida
Tampa      Orlando      Jacksonville      Fort Myers

   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/flm/pr                                                  

 

CONTACT: STEVE COLE
PHONE: (813) 274-6136
FAX: (813) 274-6300

 

 

PALM HARBOR MAN SENTENCED TO MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS
FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday, today, sentenced John Ellenwood, a 30-year-old resident of Palm Harbor, Florida, to seven years and three months' imprisonment followed by supervised release for life for distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Ellenwood was found guilty on December 6, 2007.

According to court documents, on March 28, 2003, Ellenwood emailed through America On Line (AOL) from Palm Harbor, an image of child pornography as "trade bait" to approximately 80 people, including an undercover law enforcement officer whom Ellenwood solicited in a chat room. Trade bait refers to the fact that the image was emailed to others for the purpose of initiating trading images of child pornography. When a search warrant was executed on Ellenwood’s computer, several hundred images of child pornography were recovered.

The case was investigated by the Innocent Images Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas N. Palermo.

 

 

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