Source: Office of United States Attorneys
GALVESTON, Texas – A 37-year-old San Leon resident has been sentenced for possession and receipt of child pornography as well as distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Robert James Alden pleaded guilty April 11, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown has now ordered Alden to serve a total of 240 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court noted the sentence reflected the severity of the materials Alden was using and his propensity to predation. Alden was further ordered to pay a total of $22,000 in restitution to the known victims and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. At the time of the offense, Alden was a registered sex offender and will continue to be upon release from custody.
“Today’s sentence makes it clear that online child predators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Hamdani. “A convicted sex offender who continues seeking children online for sex will face swift and strong punishment.”
At the time of the plea, Alden admitted to communicating with whom he believed to be a 13-year-old female. During the message exchange, Alden requested nude photos from the minor, sent a video of child pornography to her and suggested they produce their own pornographic videos.
On March 9, 2021, authorities executed a federal search warrant and recovered multiple media devices, including his phone which contained multiple images and videos of child pornography.
Alden will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations-Galveston conducted the investigation with assistance from the Pearland Police Department and Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard W. Bennett prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.