CONCORD — A Concord man pleaded guilty to production and distribution of child pornography and was sentenced Thursday to 210 months in prison to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, according to a press release from United States Attorney Ripley Rand of the Middle District of North Carolina.
Rodger Vance Hanson, 45, was sentenced by Senior United States District Judge N. Carlton Tilley Jr., and Hanson’s residence and computer equipment were also forfeited to the government.
On Jan. 13, 2010, investigators searched Hanson’s home after detecting child pornography being shared online from Hanson’s IP address. Investigators found hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including photographs taken by Hanson of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Investigators for the case were from the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anand P. Ramaswamy.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.