CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA -- The following information was released by the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia:
A former certified paramedic who worked for a private ambulance company in Charlottesville was found guilty yesterday evening on a pair of child pornography charges following a three-day trial.
Daniel Joseph Brown, 35, a former resident of Fluvanna, was indicted in February 2011 on one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. Following a three-day trial that culminated late Wednesday evening, a federal jury found the defendant guilty of both counts.
"When men like Daniel Brown repeatedly download images of child pornography, they further victimize the children depicted and fuel a demand for these vile images," United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy said today. "Yesterday's verdicts were the product of a thorough investigation and effective courtroom presentation. All cases that involve the sexual abuse of a child are difficult. We are grateful for the service of the jury which heard this case, particularly their willingness to view and consider these troubling images. They have done admirable service to this community by rendering this just verdict."
According to evidence presented at trial by Assistant United States Attorney Nancy Healey and University of Virginia third-year law student Elizabeth Hereford, Brown worked 24-hour shifts as a certified paramedic for a private Charlottesville ambulance company.
Due to the long hours, each member of the 24-hour shift had a private bedroom at the ambulance facility to use during their shift. It was proven that Brown, unbeknownst to his employer, connected a wireless router to the business computer at the ambulance company in order to establish a wireless internet connection in his private bedroom. He then used his personal laptop computer to search for, download and view of images and videos depicting child pornography. Many of those images were recovered by investigators despite the defendant's attempts to hide or destroy his child pornography files.
Brown faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the receipt charge and up to 10 years in prison for the possession charge. The defendant also faces the possibility of a lifetime of supervised release following his prison term.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Charlottesville Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Nancy Healey and University of Virginia law student Elizabeth Hereford prosecuted the case for the United States.
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