MAN SENTENCED IN CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASE

BUFFALO, N.Y.--James Bursch 46, of Lakewood, New York, who was convicted of possession of child pornography on May 12, 2008, was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by 5 years 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.

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.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the U.S. 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 conviction was the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Buffalo and Jamestown offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under the direction of Laurie Bennett, Special Agent In Charge.