Williamson County child predator sentenced to 15 years in prison, DOJ says

A Florence man was sentenced Friday to 15 years in federal prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for the sexual exploitation of a child and production of child pornography.

According to court documents, Joseph Leslie Reichard, 23, used his cell phone to take three pictures of the sexual abuse of a child between the ages of one and three years old and then the images to a person in Pennsylvania.

Reichard pleaded guilty in October 2022 and has remained in federal custody since his arrest in March 2022.

"Limiting the availability of child sexual abuse begins with cracking down directly on offenders like Reichard, who can expect to face the harshest penalties under federal law," said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas.

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"The FBI continues its steadfast commitment to rescue children from those who commit these abhorrent crimes," said Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Division. "Today's sentencing is the result of the FBI and our task force partners' relentless effort to hold child predators accountable for their reprehensible acts."

This case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.