LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Louisville, Kentucky, dentist was sentenced to 78 months in prison, followed by ten years of supervised release, today in United States District Court by Senior District Judge Charles R. Simpson III, for attempting to receive child pornography and possession of child pornography that had been transported by computer, announced United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.
Gregory Witte, age 55, was charged in a four count grand jury indictment on July 7, 2015, and pleaded guilty to two of the counts on March 29, 2016. The United States agreed to dismiss the remaining two counts today during sentencing.
According to the plea agreement, using a peer-2-peer program, Kentucky State Police downloaded child pornography on November 5, 2014 and December 11, 2014, from an IP address traced to Greg Witte’s residence in Louisville. On January 7, 2015, a state search warrant was executed on Witte’s residence. At that time, officers observed Witte’s computer actively downloading files from the internet with filenames indicative of child pornography. An onsite preview of Witte’s electronic devices revealed several files of child pornography. A forensic review of Witte’s electronic devices revealed that he possessed 91 image files and 21 video files of child pornography. The forensic review also revealed several search terms indicative of child pornography.
Witte faced a minimum sentence of five years in prison. As part of the plea agreement, Witte forfeited real and personal property used in the commission of the offenses including $40,000 in lieu of real property located on Happiness Way, in Louisville and computer equipment.
Assistant United States Attorney A. Spencer McKiness prosecuted this case. Kentucky State Police and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
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This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."