KNOXVILLE, Tenn..- On June 21, 2018, George Robert Everhart, 29, of Maryville, Tennessee, was arrested following the return of a four-count indictment by a federal grand jury on June 19, 2018, alleging that Everhart committed child pornography offenses. Counts One and Two of the indictment, on file with the U.S. District Court, allege that Everhart used two minors, ages seven- and 10-years-old, to produce and attempt to produce child pornography in the Eastern District of Tennessee. The indictment also alleges that Everhart distributed child pornography in interstate commerce and that he possessed child pornography depicting prepubescent minors or minors who had not attained 12 years of age.
A trial date of August 28, 2018, before the Honorable Chief District Judge Thomas A. Varlan was set. Everhart was detained in U.S. Marshal’s Service custody pending trial.
If convicted of the use of a minor to produce or attempt to produce child pornography, Everhart faces a minimum mandatory 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years up to life of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and forfeiture and a $5,100 special assessment per count. The punishment for distributing child pornography in interstate commerce is a minimum mandatory five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years up to life of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and forfeiture and a $5,100 special assessment. The punishment for possessing child pornography is up to 20 years in prison, at least five years up to life of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and forfeiture and a $5,100 special assessment.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until his or her guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation leading to the indictment was conducted by the Knoxville Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Morris will represent the United States in court proceedings.
This case was brought as 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. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
