FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 8, 2008 Jim Rybicki Further Information Contact: Public Information Officer Laura Taylor Phone (703) 842-4050 Fax: (703) 549-5202 Phone: (804) 819-5400 Email: usavae.press@usdoj.gov Web Address: www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

On January 7, 2008, Michael Alan Ovren, age 56, of Bumpass, Virginia, pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with Distribution of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252A(a)(2)(A) and 2252A(b)(1)). He is facing up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release following any prison term when he is sentenced by Judge Robert E. Payne on March 28, 2008. The plea was announced by Chuck Rosenberg, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Jeffrey L. Troy, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In support of his plea, Ovren acknowledged that on or about July 8, 2005, he used the Google “Hello” program to engage in an on-line chat with another individual on the Internet. “Hello” is a peer-to-peer internet chat program offered by Google that allows Internet users to chat on-line. The “Hello” program is designed to allow fellow users of the program to trade digital files through a worldwide network that is formed by linking computers together. On July 8, 2005, using “Hello” and operating under the name “va7bigbopper,” Ovren connected with another “Hello” user and knowingly distributed an image of child pornography that had previously been mailed, shipped, and transported in interstate and foreign commerce. The image depicted a female minor performing oral sex on an adult male. In connection with his guilty plea, Ovren admitted to distributing and transferring possession of the photograph via the internet by using his computer. At the time, Ovren knew that the photograph constituted child pornography.

A Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre detective confirmed that the girl depicted is real, that she was a “minor” when the picture was taken, and that the child pornography conduct depicted in the photograph occurred in England. Accordingly, the defendant agreed that prior to his distribution of the photograph on July 8, 2005, the photograph had been previously shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Gill is prosecuting the case for the United States.