John Hammond, of Norristown, PA, was charged today by Indictment with receipt and possession of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.

The Indictment alleges that from on or about April 11, 2016 through on or about April 18, 2016, Hammond received child pornography over the Internet. The Indictment further alleges that on April 19, 2016, Hammond possessed a computer, disc, and external drives that contained child pornography.

If convicted. Hammond faces a possible sentence of 40 years’ incarceration with a mandatory 5-year term of imprisonment, up to a lifetime of supervised release, a $500,000 dollar fine, restitution, forfeiture, and a $10,000 special assessment.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and Montgomery County Detectives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. McDonnell.