North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography

(Alexandria, VA) - Mark Fortier, age 47, of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, pled guilty today to distribution of child pornography. Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and Joseph Persichini, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office, made the announcement following Fortier's guilty plea before United States District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.

Sentencing has been set for March 13, 2009. Fortier faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment. Upon his release, Fortier will remain under Court supervision for a term of at least five years to life. Fortier will also be required to register as a sex offender in any U.S. jurisdiction in which he lives, works, or attends school.

According to court documents, in May of 2008, Fortier began communicating via the Internet with an undercover FBI agent posing as a 13 year old boy. During the course of these often sexual chats, Fortier distributed multiple images and videos of child pornography. Also in May of 2008, Fortier posted an ad on a website stating that he was interested in finding a father who was willing to share his son. The undercover FBI agent responded to this ad. In June and July of 2008, Fortier and the undercover FBI agent had multiple conversations via the Internet during which Fortier again distributed multiple images and videos of child pornography. Based on this information, Fortier was arrested at his workplace in North Carolina.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant United States Attorney Andrew McCormack, who is on detail from the Department of Justice's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, prosecuted the case for the United States.

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