North Dakota man sentenced to 9 years for receiving child pornography

BISMARCK, N.D. - A local man, who pleaded guilty to charges of receiving child pornography, was sentenced on Monday to nine years in federal prison. This investigation was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Richard Mullen, 57, of Dickinson, N.D., pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography. Mullen was also ordered to 10 years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim's Fund.

From May 2009 through June 2010, Mullen used his computer to download visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. This was discovered during an ICE HSI investigation. An examination of Mullen's computer indicated that he had downloaded more than 16,000 images depicting children being sexually abused.

"People who possess child pornography victimize the most vulnerable members of our society," said Mike Feinberg, special agent in charge of ICE HSI in Bloomington, Minn., which also covers North Dakota. "Predators who believe that they can use technology to support their illegal activities without being discovered are mistaken, and they will be held accountable for their actions."

The case was investigated by ICE HSI, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Dickinson, N.D., Police Department.