NM man indicted on federal child pornography charges

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A local man was indicted Wednesday on federal child pornography and firearms charges stemming from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Chad F. Summers, 40, of Albuquerque, entered a not-guilty plea to the five-count indictment. The indictment charges him with the following crimes: three counts of receiving and one count of possessing child pornography, and one count of being a felon possessing a firearm.

According to the indictment, Summers received child pornography in April 2006 and December 2012, and he possessed child pornography in December 2012. He is also charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm Feb. 12, 2013. Summers was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunitions because he had a previous felony conviction in an Oregon state court for possessing child pornography. The five offenses allegedly occurred in Bernalillo County in New Mexico.

Summers was arrested Feb. 12, 2013 on a criminal complaint by HSI special agents based on an investigation initiated by the New Mexico State Police in October 2012. The investigation determined that an Internet Protocol address subscribed to Summers was being used to receive child pornography.

According to the criminal complaint, on Feb. 12, 2013, law enforcement officers with HSI, the New Mexico State Police, and the Albuquerque Police Department executed a federal search warrant at Summers' residence. They seized computers and computer-related media that allegedly contained child pornography. Officers also seized a 9mm pistol during the search of Summers' home.

If convicted, Summers faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison on each of the three charges for receiving child pornography. If convicted of possessing child pornography, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The sentencing guidelines on the child pornography charges are enhanced because of Summers' prior child pornography conviction. The maximum penalty for a conviction on the firearms charge is 10 years in federal prison.

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 1-866-347-2423 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, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-843-5678.

HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.