LITTLE ROCK—Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Raymond R. Parmer, Jr., announced today that Raymond Kinney, 54, of Jacksonville, has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges.
Kinney, who was a Transportation Security Inspector for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) prior to his arrest, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to distribution of child pornography before United States District Judge Susan Webber Wright, who will sentence him at a later date. Kinney was indicted on February 4, 2015. As part of the plea agreement, the parties will jointly recommend a sentence of 20 years, the maximum allowed by law, in exchange for the United States not charging Kinney with additional criminal conduct that was also uncovered in the investigation, including enticement of a minor.
Kinney was arrested in January 2015, after arriving at a motel where he planned to meet a person he thought was a 10-year-old girl. According to online chats that were recovered from his account, Kinney planned to have sex with this minor. A search incident to arrest revealed that Kinney had brought sex toys and children’s clothing with him.
"This defendant planned to sexually abuse a 10-year-old little girl," Thyer said. "Thanks to the work of law enforcement officers, he was not able to follow through with that plan. Fortunately, the minor in this case was actually undercover law enforcement, but online predators will seize any opportunity to take advantage of our children.
"There is no higher priority in my office than protecting the children of Arkansas, and, as I have said many times, parents must be aware of the potential for danger online and monitor their children’s internet activity just as closely as they would monitor them in any other public place."
According to facts read at the hearing, this investigation began in January 2015, when undercover officers monitoring a social networking site encountered an individual seeking a minor for sexual contact. Under the username "luvsyngteengirls," this individual sent several pictures and videos of child pornography over the internet. Kinney admitted that "luvsyngteengirls" was his username. Agents ultimately arranged a meeting at a motel with Kinney using this username, and when Kinney arrived, officers arrested him.
"Today’s guilty plea is a victory and it sends a clear cut message to those who want to take advantage of our children. We will find you and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Parmer, Jr., said. "We are committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society. HSI and its local, state and federal partners will continue to work together to put these predators behind bars."
The indictment charges that on or about January 27, 2015, Kinney knowingly distributed child pornography. The statutory penalty for distribution of child pornography is at least five but not more than 20 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations with substantial assistance from Russellville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Allison W. Bragg and Kristin Bryant.