Former corrections officer pleads guilty to possession of child pornography

BUFFALO, N.Y. – A former upstate New York corrections officer pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

On March 9, 2010, Shawn Pound, 40, of Gowanda, N.Y., a New York State corrections officer at the time, possessed 190 images of child pornography stored on two computers at his residence in Gowanda. The two computers were seized by law enforcement agents during the execution of a federally authorized search warrant, and a subsequent search of the computers revealed the images.

This investigation is part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE HSI initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers. ICE HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 5, 2012. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango.