The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that James Campbell, 55, of Swanton, Vermont, was indicted on March 24, 2016 by a federal grand jury for possession of child pornography involving minors under the age of 12. Campbell’s arraignment is scheduled for March 29, 2016.
According to court documents, Campbell was detected sharing child pornography over the Internet. Subsequently, law enforcement agents obtained and executed a warrant to search Campbell’s house in Swanton, Vermont. During the search, law enforcement seized a computer and electronic media containing child pornography. Campbell also made admissions regarding his possession of child pornography. Campbell was arrested and charged via a criminal complaint later that day. On March 17, 2016, Campbell made an initial appearance in federal court and U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy ordered Campbell detained pending trial.
The charges against Campbell are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent until and unless he is proven guilty. If convicted, Campbell faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and up to lifetime supervised release, although the sentence will be advised by the federal sentencing guidelines.
Campbell is a registered sex offender who has a 2007 Vermont state court conviction for sexual assault of a minor. State court records indicate that the victim in Campbell’s prior case was under 12 years of age at the time of the offense.
Campbell’s federal prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. In Vermont, federal prosecutors are teaming up with federal, state, and local law enforcement agents to identify, investigate, and prosecute those individuals who prey upon children and those that distribute, receive, or manufacture child pornography. For more information on Project Safe Childhood, including resources on internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The collaborative team investigating this case includes law enforcement agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The United States is represented in this case by Assistant United States Attorney Kunal Pasricha. Campbell is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael L. Desautels.