Charlotte Man Convicted In Federal Child Porn Case

CHARLOTTE, NC — A 59-year-old Charlotte man has been convicted and faces sentencing of up to 20 years behind bars for possessing, receiving and transporting child pornography, according the U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of North Carolina.

Jose Antonio Hendricks was found guilty by a federal jury after evidence was presented that Hendricks used a peer-to-peer network to view and trade the pornography or child erotica about 70 times between October 2014 and February 2015.

Hendricks’ residence was search by law enforcement executing a search warrant in March 2015, and a searc of devices seized contained numerous images, as well as evidence that he was accessing websites with sadistic or masochistic images of children, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

“Child predators often seek shelter in the anonymity the internet offers to exploit and harm innocent children. This is a global epidemic that we must confront with an aggressive, technology-driven response,” U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray said Wednesday in a statement. “Today’s guilty verdict sends a message that the internet is no longer a safe haven for those who engage in child sexual exploitation.”

Hendricks' sentencing date has not yet been set, according to Murray's office.

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