Niederwald man faces child porn charges

A federal grand jury in Austin indicted Paul Anthony Lawrence, 63, of Niederwald, on Sept. 19 on two counts of possession of child pornography. The Attorney General”s office is prosecuting the case in cooperation with U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton.
“Child pornography is not a big city problem or a rural problem, but one that communities across Texas face,” said Attorney

General Greg Abbott. “Images of child pornography reflect the sexual victimization of a child, and those who store and share such despicable photos must be held accountable. I am grateful to the local law enforcement in Hays, San Jacinto and Galveston counties who have provided assistance to our Cyber Crimes Unit in the investigation and prosecution of these cases.”
Investigative work by the Hays County Sheriff”s Department led to a search of Lawrence”s Niederwald residence, where a computer and external media were confiscated. A forensic analysis performed by the Cyber Crimes Unit revealed images of child pornography.
Possession of child pornography is a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Promotion is a second-degree felony that carries a possible punishment of two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Attorney General Abbott has made pursuing sexual predators a top priority of his administration. The Cyber Crimes Unit, which targets online predators, and the Fugitive Unit, which locates convicted child sex offenders who have violated the terms of their parole and could be stalking children, have combined for over 500 arrests of such offenders since Abbott took office in December 2002. His office also has obtained convictions against 50 men on child pornography charges.
To find out more about Attorney General Abbott”s efforts to crack down on sexual predators, visit the Attorney General”s Web site at www.oag.state.tx.us or call (800) 252-8011.
(Courtesy of Greg Abbott)