DANIEL HARRISON, 30, OF NEW HAVEN, CHARGED WITH POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Kimberly K. Mertz, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Colonel Danny R. Stebbins of the Connecticut State Police today announced that DANIEL HARRISON, 30, of New Haven, was arrested yesterday and charged by federal criminal complaint with possession of child pornography.

The criminal complaint alleges that, on October 28, 2011, a Connecticut State Police Trooper assigned to the Computer Crimes Unit logged into a publicly available Internet file sharing program and downloaded images and videos of child pornography from a system connected to the network with an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to HARRISON. At approximately 5:35 p.m. on November 28, 2011, law enforcement officers executed a federal search and seizure warrant at HARRISON’s residence and seized several items, including a laptop computer and a video game console.

HARRISON, who was present for the search, was arrested at that time.

Today, HARRISON appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Joan G. Margolis in New Haven who ordered HARRISON detained pending a hearing that is scheduled for Friday, December 2.

If convicted of the charge of possession of child pornography, HARRISON faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000. The penalties in this matter are enhanced based on HARRISON’s prior state conviction for possession of child pornography.

U.S. Attorney Fein stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being investigated by the Connecticut State Police Computer Crimes Unit, the New Haven Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Neeraj Patel.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, and the District of Connecticut’s “Operation Constant Vigilance,” which are aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov

http://www.justice.gov/usao/ct/Press2011/20111129.html