Richland sex offender sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for child pornography – Dailyfly

Richland, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Gerald Alan Nott, 63, of Richland, Washington, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a prison sentence of 180 months (15 years), followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, between December 2022 and March 2023, a detective with Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (SER-ICAC) developed information that Nott, who is a registered sex offender, was using the Internet in his parents’ Richland, Washington, home to distribute child pornography. The more than 1,600 image and video files depicted young children, including those approximately one to four years old, being sexually abused.

On March 16, 2023, detectives executed a search warrant at the home where Nott had access to the internet. Nott told officers that he thought the police might come to talk to him, so he attempted to delete the child pornography files from his tablet. Nott also admitted to hiding the tablet behind a cabinet. That same day, SER-ICAC officers executed a search warrant at Nott’s Richland home and seized a second tablet. A SER-ICAC certified forensic examiner examined both tablets and found over 100 video and image files containing child pornography.

“This sentence is a stark reminder to Mr. Nott and others like him: crimes that exploit children cannot and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Mr. Nott ignored the terms of his release and used the Internet to view and distribute horrific images of young children being abused. Thanks to the dedicated work of the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and prosecutors from my office, we were able to hold Mr. Nott accountable and prevent him from further victimizing the most vulnerable among us.”

“HSI’s determination to protect children from exploitation is unwavering,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI’s operations in the Pacific Northwest. “This conviction is an important reminder of our tireless pursuit of justice for the youngest and most vulnerable victims. Every image he possessed represents the suffering of a child, and our work is driven by a deep commitment to ensuring these children are protected. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to hold offenders accountable and prevent future abuse.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Abuse and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children online, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov

This case was investigated by the Southeast Regional ICAC Task Force, comprised of Homeland Security Investigations and the Richland and Kennewick Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laurel Holland.