United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill
Middle District of Florida

JACKSONVILLE MAN INDICTED ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES

Jacksonville, FL - U.S. Attorney Robert E. O’Neill and Michael J. Folmar, Special Agent in Charge of the Jacksonville Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced the unsealing today of a two count indictment charging Eric Shawn Garcia with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Garcia, age 34, of Jacksonville, was arrested and had his initial appearance in Jacksonville federal court on December 3, 2007. His arraignment and detention hearing are set for December 5, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Thomas E. Morris.

If convicted of the charge in Count One of the indictment, he faces a maximum penalty of not less than 5 years’ imprisonment and up to 20 years’ imprisonment and $250,000 in fines. If convicted of Count Two, Garcia faces a term of up to 10 years’ imprisonment and $250,000 in fines.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the CyberCrime Unit of the Florida Attorney General's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information on Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The Florida Attorney General's Child Predator CyberCrime Unit is a member of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a federally funded program working nationwide to educate and support law enforcement to stop these crimes, and the FBI Cyber Task Force in Jacksonville.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.