FORMER TEACHER SENTENCED FOR POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

ROCHESTER, N.Y.-- Geoffrey S. Hulburt, 32, of Elmira, New York, was sentenced today to 78 months in prison and eight years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer, in connection with his guilty plea in January 2008 to possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Terrance P. Flynn of the Western District of New York announced today.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who handled the case, stated that the defendant, who was employed as a school teacher in the Waverly School District in Waverly, New York, admitted that he possessed more than 600 images of child pornography on his home computer. He had received these images over the internet. Some of the child pornography images depicted prepubescent minors or minors under twelve years old, and portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence.

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 .

The conviction in this case was the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Laurie J. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge.