Schererville Woman Sentenced to 190 Months in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

SOUTH BEND - Samantha M. Conley, 31 years old, of Schererville, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.

Conley was sentenced to 190 months in prison, 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment.

According to documents in the case, Conley possessed 82 videos depicting child sexual abuse material.

"The Defendant's disturbing pattern of abuse and betrayal of trust is appalling. Her continued illicit actions spiraled into deviancy while she turned her back on a strong support system to explore the darkness of sexual abuse," said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.

"Every image and video depicting the sexual abuse of a child represents a real victim whose innocence was violated. Possessing this material fuels the exploitation of children and perpetuates their abuse," said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy O'Malley. "This sentence reflects the seriousness of Conley's actions and the harm inflicted on this young victim. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively investigate those who seek out and possess child sexual abuse material."

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse and former Assistant United States Attorney Hannah T Jones.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the DOJ's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..