Magalia man accused of possessing child porn
SACRAMENTO — United States Attorney Lawrence G. Brown announced Thursday that a federal grand jury indicted Thomas Hart, 48, of Magalia, for possession of child pornography.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Jill Thomas, who is prosecuting the case, Hart pleaded guilty in July 2007 to charges of penetration with a foreign object of an individual under 16 years of age and sexual intercourse with a minor following a Butte County District Attorney’s Office investigation.
After the Butte County District Attorney’s Office seized Hart’s computer, it requested the FBI conduct a forensic examination for potential images of child pornography. Thursday’s federal indictment charges that the defendant possessed visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The maximum statutory penalty for the charge is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
