Former alarm salesman sentenced to 7 ½ years in prison for receiving child pornography

HOUSTON — A local man was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Douglas Bruce Parsons, 64, received the 7 ½-year prison sentence from U.S. District Judge Sim Lake. Parson was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release, pay $2,000 in restitution to a known victim of child pornography, and register as a sex offender. He pleaded guilty Nov. 30, 2011.

While using peer-to-peer computer software, HSI special agents in Corpus Christi, Texas, discovered an Internet protocol address registered to Parsons, in the 8000 block of Silent Cedars Drive in Houston, sharing child pornography images and videos.

HSI's Cyber Crimes Division in Houston initiated an investigation and executed a search warrant at Parsons' residence. They discovered a large volume of child pornography during an onsite preview of his home computers. A subsequent forensic analysis of three computers and an external hard drive resulted in discovering 17 digital images and 178 videos totaling more than 58 hours of child pornography.

Parsons admitted to searching for and downloading child pornography using peer-to-peer programs to obtain child pornography images and videos. He also admitted that his system allowed others to share the child pornography collection on his computer.

Parsons, who had been previously released on bond, was permitted to remain on bond to voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Paulson and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Demetrius Bivins, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted the case.

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide 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. HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE 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 & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.