ADMITTED SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED TO 27 YEARS IN CHILD
PORNOGRAPHY CASE

BUFFALO, N.Y.--JEFFERY SIKES, 34, of Ceres, New York, who was convicted of two felony charges of Possession of Child Pornography and one felony charge of Attempted Possession of Child Pornography on March 24, 2008, was sentenced to 27 years of in prison followed by lifetime supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara, U.S. Attorney Terrance P. Flynn of the Western District of New York announced today. Sikes has prior convictions in State Court for Attempted Sexual Abuse in the First Degree and Possession of a Sexual Performance by a Child.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie P. Grisanti, who handled the case, stated that the defendant admitted possessing approximately 350 images and 150 videos of child pornography at his residence in Ceres, New York, and attempting to possess child pornography on another occasion. Sikes also admitted to transmitting child pornography through his hot mail account and also by providing others access to his Yahoo personal briefcase, which contained child pornography.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the United States 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 United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Ronald C. Walker, New York Division and the Jamestown office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the Special Agent-in-Charge Laurie Bennett, and the New York State Division of Parole.