A 47-year-old Brownsville man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in a child pornography case, federal authorities said.
Chance Wallace appeared Thursday before U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. where he was sentenced to 180 months in prison. Wallace pleaded guilty to the child pornography charge Sept. 26, 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas stated in a press release.
At Thursday’s hearing, the court considered statements of various victims describing how Wallace’s actions caused them continued harm. In handing down the prison term, Rodriguez noted the seriousness of the offense and the need to protect the public from Wallace’s conduct.
Authorities said Wallace’s sentence will be immediately followed by eight years of supervised release during which he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He has also been ordered to register as a sex offender.
In October 2015, authorities launched an investigation targeting child pornography sharing on the internet. That led them to Wallace. The following month, they conducted a search at the residence and seized his computer and an external hard drive. Forensic analysis on the computer later revealed approximately 525 images and 497 videos of child pornography.
When interviewed by investigators, Wallace admitted he had been down loading child pornography for at least five years.
Wallace will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations – Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation.
