Pickens Man pleads Guilty to Child Porn Charges

United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announces that 31-year-old Jeffrey Lee Harris of Pickens pled guilty in federal court in Spartanburg, to possession of child pornography. United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, of Spartanburg, accepted the plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that law enforcement conducted a proactive investigation involving individuals obtaining child pornography. Law enforcement learned that Harris had used Bitcoin to purchase a membership in a foreign website that specialized in child pornography. Officers obtained Harris’s computers and interviewed him. On the computers, officers found multiple images and videos of children, some prepubescent, engaged in sexual activity and the lascivious display of the genitals. After being given his Miranda warnings, Harris admitted that he had sought out and downloaded the child pornography found on his computer. The maximum penalty Harris can receive is a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment for 20 years, supervised release of up to life, plus a special assessment of $100. The case was investigated by agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office handled the case. This case was brought as part of 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, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.