A Corpus Christi man has been sentenced to federal prison after being convicted of possession of child pornography, according to U.S. attorneys.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos sentenced Timothy Traut, 41, to 120 months in prison. U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick said in a press release that Traut had pleaded guilty to the charges against him back on February 1.
Traut was ordered to serve 15 years on supervised release after his prison term, with additional restrictions on access to children and the internet and registration as a sex offender. Prosecutors said Traut possessed images of children he knew and "superimposed" the children’s faces to images of child pornography.
Back in March 2017, Queensland Police Services had identified a computer discussing child pornography online which was later linked to Traut, according to U.S.A.O. Traut had reportedly used the name "Horndog" online and posted pictures and comments about his intent to engage in sexual acts with a child pictured.
An investigation led to a search warrant of Traut’s residence. Agents seized various electronic devices which reportedly contained more than 850 images and around 104 videos of child pornography.
Traut was placed into custody and has remained in custody during court proceedings. He will now be transferred to a federal prison for his sentence.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Corpus Christi Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice launched in 2006.
