August 30, 2010

San Diego Man Receives Heavy Sentence for Possessing Child Pornography Investigation

Former San Diego resident David Grummer received a 295-month prison sentence for 18 counts of receipt of child pornography and five counts of possession of child pornography, in a case investigated by the FBI and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The San Diego RCFL (SDRCFL) provided digital forensics expertise to investigators who pursued this case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

David Grummer, 45 was initially investigated by the EPA and the FBI for selling banned chemicals on the Internet. In 2009, he plead guilty to those charges and received 18 months in jail and a $92,000 restitution payment. According to a 6/25/10 Department of Justice press release, following an EPA/FBI search warrant of Grummer's residence, digital forensics Examiners discovered child pornography on one of the seized computer hard drives. The authorities obtained a second search warrant for the residence where Examiners discovered hundreds of images of child pornography on five separate hard drives owned by Grummer. He also used file share programs to search for and download images depicting the sexual exploitation of children. (Child pornography is contraband—having it in your possession is illegal—that includes storing, sending, or receiving these images.)

SDRCFL director SSA Craig A. Porter testified about his digital forensics findings during Grummer's trial. SDRCFL Examiners Dan Dandrige who is assigned to the laboratory from the FBI's San Diego Division, and Bob Gerou, whose home agency is the California Highway Patrol, also provided digital forensics expertise to investigators.

Once Grummer completes his prison sentence, he must register as a sex offender and serve 15 years of supervised release. Click here to read a Department of Justice press release regarding Grummer's sentencing.

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