Colorado - Federal Agents Rescue Child Victim Used by Child Pornographer Jeffrey Allan Mueller (38)

DENVER—Jeffrey Allan Mueller, age 38, of Douglas County, Colorado, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on August 16, 2011, where he was charged with production of child pornography and transportation of child pornography. The charges stem from Mueller using a minor child to produce child pornography. Mueller was arrested on July 26, 2011. At the time of his arrest, the minor child was rescued by the agents and officers conducting the investigation, and the child is now in a safe place. Mueller appeared in court yesterday morning to be advised of the charges contained in the indictment, and he entered a plea of not guilty to those charges. He is being held in federal custody without bond pending a resolution of his case.

According to the indictment, between September 2006 and December 2009, Mueller used a minor with the intent that the minor engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography and then transport that child pornography across state and international lines. The indictment alleges that Mueller produced over 50 images of child pornography during five separate occasions.

“Thanks to the determined work of federal agents, task force officers, and prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a man actively abusing a child to produce child pornography for distribution has been arrested and held without bond,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. “Most importantly, the abused child has been rescued and is now safe.”

“Our nation’s children are the most vulnerable victims. The FBI remains committed to working with our state and local law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to aggressively investigate all cases involving the sexual exploitation of children,” said Denver Division FBI Special Agent in Charge James Yacone.

In counts one through five, production of child pornography, Mueller faces not less than 15 years, and not more than 30 years’ imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000, per count. In count six, transportation of child pornography, Mueller faces not less than five years, and not more than 20 years’ imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000.

The indictment includes an asset forfeiture allegation, which includes the forfeiture of all images, digital or otherwise, and any real property used to facilitate the crime, which in this case includes a residence located in Parker, Colorado.

This case was investigated by the Denver FBI Innocent Images Task Force and the Parker Police Department. Mueller is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith Smith, Chief of the Special Prosecutions Section, with assistant from Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Paluch regarding asset forfeiture matters.

The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/co/press_releases/2011/August2011/8_23_11.html