California Youth Counselor Thomas Perez Jewell Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography

WASHINGTON – A Pleasant Hill, Calif., youth counselor pleaded guilty today in federal court in Oakland, Calif., to producing child pornography, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag of the Northern District of California.

Thomas Perez Jewell, 54, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton in the Northern District of California to one count of production of child pornography.

Jewell admitted to sexually molesting two minor victims and to producing child pornography of the molestation. According to court documents, Jewell was employed as a youth counselor and therapist. Jewell’s molestation offenses were discovered when law enforcement executed a search warrant on his residence for suspected possession of child pornography.

Jewell has been in custody since his arrest on Nov. 18, 2011. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 29, 2012, before Judge Hamilton in Oakland. At sentencing, Jewell will face a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and a maximum term of life on supervised release. Jewell will be required to register as a sex offender in accordance with state and federal law.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Hill and Trial Attorney Mi Yung Park of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. This case was investigated by the FBI; the Pleasant Hill Police Department; the Martinez, Calif., Police Department; and the Walnut Creek, Calif., Police Departments.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/November/11-crm-1536.html

Youth Counselor Sentenced to 29 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography

Defendant Also Ordered to Pay $234,000 in Restitution to Victim


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OAKLAND—Thomas Perez Jewell was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Oakland, California to 29 years in prison and was ordered to pay $234,000 in restitution for producing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Douglas of the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office.

According to court documents, Jewell first came to the attention of law enforcement authorities when he was suspected of distributing and possessing child pornography. A search of Jewell’s Pleasant Hill apartment pursuant to a search warrant revealed evidence that Jewell had sexually molested two minor victims and photographed and videotaped his abuse. A hard drive hidden under the mattress in Jewell’s bedroom contained thousands of images of the minor victims. Prior to his arrest and conviction, Jewell was employed as a youth counselor and therapist in Contra Costa County.

Jewell, 54, was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 9, 2010. He was charged with production of child pornography, transportation of child pornography, and possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2251(a) and (e); 2252A(a)(1) and (b)(1); and 2252A(a)(5)(B) and (b)(2). He pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography on November 23, 2011.

Jewell was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton. Judge Hamilton also sentenced the defendant to a lifetime of supervised release. Jewell has been in custody since his arrest on November 18, 2010.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Hill and Trial Attorney Mi Yung Park of the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section with the assistance of Vanessa Vargas. This case was investigated by the FBI, the Pleasant Hill Police Department, the Martinez Police Department, and the Walnut Creek Police Department.

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, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Further Information:

Case #: CR-10-0898-PJH

A copy of this press release may be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website at www.usdoj.gov/usao/can.



http://www.justice.gov/usao/can/news/2012/2012_03_01_jewell.sentenced.press.html