MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

BUFFALO, N.Y.--Neil Finley, 29, of Amherst, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny, to a felony charge of Possession of Child Pornography, U.S. Attorney Terrance P. Flynn of the Western District of New York announced today. Possession of Child Pornography carries a maximum penalty of 10 of years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie P. Grisanti, who handled the case, stated that the defendant admitted to possessing material that contained images of child pornography on his computer and that he allowed others to access the child pornography through his Limewire file sharing program.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. 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 about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The plea was the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Buffalo Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Laurie Bennett, Special Agent In Charge.

Sentencing is scheduled for August 22, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. EST, in Buffalo, N.Y., in front of U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.